


Necromancy

by HoneyJackal



Series: Witchery [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alchemist Ana, F/M, Ghost Jack, M/M, Manticore Reinhardt, Multi, Necromancer Gabriel, Slow Burn, Werewolf Jesse McCree, Witch AU, Witch Sombra, family au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-21 01:26:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 45,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9525560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HoneyJackal/pseuds/HoneyJackal
Summary: Co authored by Mineyjan and a rewrite of Witchery.This is the story of how Gabriel met Jack, and how they start their little partnership and their strange little family. It's also the start of all the conflict for the rest of the series...





	1. The Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for being so patient with me, I'm so happy to announce the rewrite of Witchery! This is only the first installation and each fic will be about each ship to make it easier to skip between times and characters with relative ease. Mineyjan and I are so excited for this reboot after learning more about the characters we wish to write about in updates through the comics and the game itself. Please leave a comment and some critique even if you don't leave a kudos, I want to try and get better and the only way I can do that is through feedback!

There are some things witches know from the time they first start practicing, and there are other things that a witch must learn...and some things are shown to them, through dreams or visions. Sometimes such things can be shown in other mysterious ways...Gabriel had always known he had a way with the dead. When a pet died he could often see the spirit from time to time, watching over him; and the first time he experienced the death of a family member, he heard his abuela's ghost often whispering to him before bed. Her voice chased away anything that may harm her grandson. Gabriel also knew that one day, when he perfected his magic, he would need a familiar or a guide, but he had no way of knowing which. For eighteen years, Gabriel worked with his mother on his talents and with her supportive guidance and a steady hand he soon took over the family shop The Owl's Wing. He became a successful Necromancer by twenty three, and in the past two years he helped countless spirits move on, cleansed numerous homes and defeated powerful demons, all without a spirit guide. He didn't even know where to start looking for or summoning one...

Until last night.

He had fallen asleep like any other night, aided by alcohol and a boring Netflix documentary, he just drifted off when suddenly he was thrust into a battlefield...horses raced around and through him, bullets and cannonballs did the same. He seemed to instantly sober and dive for cover when something told him _Look up_.

He did, and a young man on a bay gelding came into view...

He was only younger than him by a few years, maybe five at the most, and he was in a Union Calvary uniform, rifle in hand and an intense look to his blue eyes. Gabriel was able to follow him easily in the dream. It was bloody chaos around them, the stench of iron hung in the air from both the blood and the weapons coated in it. The horse was antsy beneath his rider and he lashed out at anyone who dare come too close. He spooked at Gabriel and the dancing off to the left saved them from an iron ball flying through the air. The horse snorted then gave a terrified whinny at another cannon shot.

"Shh, easy boy, it's okay!" the blond called out to him over the cannonfire. "Look at what you did boy! You saved us from the cannons! Now let's go give them hell!" he shouted, steering his horse towards the fight. He managed to get a few shots off on his rifle, sending some of the confederates to their knees in pain. He never lingered long in one spot, however, all too aware of the dangers of being an easy target on horseback. He shouldered the gun then drew his sword with a war cry, spurring his horse and running after a cannon at a diagonal, making it impossible for the cannon to turn in time to fire at him. He cut down the team operating on one side, whirled around to trample the gunner, and then slashed at the other team so the infantry could move in and clean up. He slid the sword into a leather sheath on the saddle to make it easier to grab and pulled the gun to the ready again. 

Gabriel felt tied to this man, and panic rose in his chest as he watched. He was an adept rider, and a good shot too, he talked the horse through hellfire and the demons screaming around them. Another cannon bellowed and suddenly the horse crumbled as it hit his side. The young man was pinned beneath the animal. The last image Gabriel was left with was the soldier, bloodied and struggling beneath his horse, still trying to talk it down even as they were both dying from their injuries. He woke at a final gunshot and a scream.

 

He had to pant and sit there a while before he could really think about it. He felt an ache in his soul, well deep in his chest anyway, and he had to consult his mother's grimoire over this. He got his magic from her after all, and she had gifted her book of shadows to him when she retired from the shop. She had notes from spells to potion recipes and dream meanings...which was exactly what he was after...but nothing seemed to resonate or match in the handwritten dictionary. However, something on the first page of the next chapter caught his eye.

_A spirit chooses a necromancer. The necromancer must decide to respond or not. A guide is shown to their necromancer and they are bound to one another._

Gabriel dressed quickly and didn't bother opening the shop today, he had to meet up with someone who could talk sense with him. There was another witch that often helped supply him with specialized potions and she was a quick wit and deeper thinker than he was. 

"That was last night." Gabriel explained with a huff and a hand through his hair.

"Do you think he was asking for help or do you think the dream was showing you your guide?" Ana tilted her head as she listened.

"I think...it might be both." Gabriel frowned, glancing up as her husband made his way in, "How's your amulet holding up big guy?" Reinhardt set the tea down with a wide smile in front of Gabriel before taking his place beside Ana.

"My amulet is very well, thanks to you!" he chimed brightly before chuckling and delicately pouring tea for all of them. With his gigantic hands Gabriel couldn't help cracking a smile at the comedy of it. "So it sounds like you finally found your familiar? That's good!" Reinhardt's amulet shone in the light-a brilliant blue and green chrysocolla with a black lion carved into it, he never took it off when they were hosting anyone in their home.

" Guide, Rein, not a familiar." Gabriel smirked at Reinhardt before sighing with Ana. "Haven't found him yet...just got a face and a random name when I woke up...Jack Morrison...still have to summon him and see if he just needed my help or if we're really connected..." He grimaced. "I'm nervous...he died a painful, violent death...and if he's already somewhere better I don't want to make him come back..."

"You said he was young...surely he wasn't ready to die. Maybe you can talk him into helping you help others like Reinhardt and I." She put her arms behind her head in a stretch before snuggling up to the large man.

Reinhardt hummed thoughtfully as he put an arm around Ana. "Have most familiars and guides died natural, painless deaths?" he questioned with a soft chuckle, "It's in the nature of such a strong spirit to have an intimate relationship with death," he mused with a soft but sad smile, "Any spirit you find in this world is going to have had a similar end..."

Gabriel nodded in agreement, "I might try a dream spell...that way he can set the tone and I won't be dragging him out into the modern world all of a sudden...it was like being a ghost and just watching him die..." He shivered.

"Make it comfortable. This is a big request and he may only want your help, not to enter your service."

" You make it sound like I'm enslaving him." Gabriel scoffed. Though, thinking about it some spirits could view becoming a guide in that way. "I haven't done dream magic in a long time." 

"Not since capturing that Dream Eater demon." Ana smirked. "You'll be fine Gabriel, just keep your Phenacite under your pillow and the dream will stay lucid." She shrugged. "Is there anything you need help with in the meantime?"

"No, I'm going to hit the library and go through some Archives anyway, the number 76 is stuck with me too, if I can search some records for Union Cavalry men maybe I can find out more about him before I go under."

Reinhardt nodded with a wide smile. "A wise idea. A name, a number, and a location would get you something, I'm sure!" he declared happily before taking another sip of his tea. "You know we will be here to help you if you need it. Ana may also be able to help you find a guide if this doesn't work out," he offered with a soft smile. The couple knew Gabriel had been looking for years for a spirit he could trust and connect with. This seemed promising, but they also knew Gabriel would never bind a spirit to himself without trying to speak to it first.

"Yea, thanks...We'll see."

 

After lunch with the sickeningly sweet newlyweds he slipped off to the library. Union Cavalry Soldier 76, Jack Morrison, age 23, Bloomington, Indiana. Mount was a six year old bay thoroughbred cross gelding "Harley". Other than that he really couldn't find anything. He was pronounced KIA after arriving at the field hospital somewhere in Oklahoma, and as far as Gabriel knew he wasn't bound to any specific place if he was dreaming about him on his couch. So he ran a few errands, stopped by to deliver a few things to some clients and then made his way back to the shop to make himself dinner.

He set to work on the dream spell after dinner.

He drew out two sigils on a piece of paper and placed the raw, clear, blocky phenacite crystal in between them, then plopped his pillow over it. He secretly hoped this worked...maybe having a guide would make this stupid family shop less lonely. His mom had a cute little house on the ocean now, an hour away and he hardly ever got time to see her. Ana and Rein were trying to start a family and most of his clients had their own lives...he huffed himself out of his thoughts then scratched Jack's name into the heel of his palm with a small pocket knife until a tiny bit of blood was drawn, not enough to scar, but enough to seal who Gabe was looking for. Then he lay down and focused on sleeping, and the piercing blue eyes he had been so keen on watching the night before...

 

He blinked then found himself in a cornfield, surrounded by tall plants while a hot summer breeze rolled through. Well he was from California so it was pleasant to him at least...He walked his way through the field until he came to a small unplanted patch near a group of trees. There he thought he saw a figure.

"...Are you Jack Morrison?...Are you the one that sent me that dream?"

\--

Jack knew that the cornfields back home were never quite this perfect. There would always be a broken stalk or two, the house and the noises and smells from it would be in the distance, and the barn was always full of animals making noise. This seemed fitting though for the afterlife. It had taken him a long time to realize that was where he was, and over the years he'd tried to reach out to so many people. Just to be heard, to see if anyone would help him.

That's why he was stunned to see Gabriel standing there. He was just like the CO he had a crush on so long ago...he was tall, and he was broad, he had darker skin and more facial hair, but he was still that sort of polished rugged that made Jack's heart do little flips. Well, when he was alive anyway. He felt hope rise in his chest and an excitement take over him. 

"You came? You could hear me?" He'd pushed his death to so many others just trying to get attention from someone, but for the first time he'd felt like someone saw and watched and took in that he needed them... and now here he was. "Yes... Yes! I am! Does that mean it worked? You know me?" he asked, his eyes filling with a cautious sort of hope, "How much did you see? I tried to show you everything, I-" He stopped himself and just watched Gabriel for a minute. "You're the first one to come find me."

The other man smiled softly and crossed his arms then cocked his hips before nodding. Jack couldn't help but follow his movements with his eyes. He felt a soft warmth touch his cheeks as Gabriel began to talk."Call me a bleeding heart," He teased. "I've helped all kinds of beings, alive and dead." He paused, "I saw war...I'm sorry you had to do that, but from one military brat to another thank you for your service...people like me would probably still be slaves without soldiers like you."

 "Don't- I could have done so much more. I let Harley down that day," he murmured before his eyes brightened a bit. "I had hoped we won. I knew we would. There were good men on both sides," he mused before shaking his head again.

"I guess I saw what you wanted me to see...but for it to be so vivid and fluid, I thought you seemed pretty insistent. My name is Gabriel Reyes, and I'm a Necromancer, I do this kind of thing often, but I haven't had a dream meeting in a while...heh, so, how can your local necromancer help you?" he teased.

"Gabriel..." He was quiet for a moment after that, taking in Gabriel. He was unlike anyone he'd tried to contact before- not only was he here, but he was seemingly able and interested in helping. "I... a few things have troubled me, I suppose," he murmured, "You answered one. I'm glad we won... but there's two things..." He sighed slowly, "I need to know where I'm buried, what happened to Harley, and... and what happened to my family." They had needed Jack's soldier salary for the farm. He never knew if they'd gotten it...

"That's three," Gabriel teased him, "but yea...I think I can do that...I have a question too." He put his hands in his pockets then. "How much do you know about Witches?"

" Not much I'm afraid..." Jack's excitement was soon replaced with nerves.

He gave a nod with Jack in understanding. "Most witches find a familiar, usually it's an animal or a reincarnation of a person. Necromancers use pure or dark spirits as familiars called Spirit Guides. You don't have to agree, but...If I help you, would you help me?" He seemed to quickly catch on to Jack's fear, "It's not going to damn you if that's what you're worried about." Gabriel chuckled. "I help people, just like you." He offered his hand for a shake. "Think about it...once you shake my hand, I am contracted to help you, and when the deed is done, you can find peace or you can help me help others..."

"You... want to use my soul for some ritual, is that it?" Jack asked, not quite understanding what was happening. He held his wrist then wrung his hands in worry. The more he thought about what was said though, the less malicious it seemed. "So... you would use me to help people?" He hesitated at the hand before slowly taking it with a sigh. "I need to know... if that means I give myself to you, then so be it." Jack just hoped knowledge wouldn't be his undoing.

" Wait..." Gabriel paused in the shake, "What? No, no you wouldn't be used for anything like that, we would be more like partners. We're shaking so you know I have to help you first." He explained. "That is if you aren't ready to cross over when we're done here. If you are I'll happily let you cross without an argument, deal?" Jack eyed Gabriel suspiciously. He watched his expression, his eyes... everything seemed to say Gabriel was an honest man. The deal, however, still unnerved him.

"Isn't it like Adam and Eve? I will be cursed for the pursuit of knowledge... for not moving on I will be locked out of heaven?" He was genuinely confused, but he shook Gabriel's hand with a solid nod. "I still need to know... I will agree to your terms. It's why I reached out."

" As far as I've learned, from the familiars of friends and such, you won't be locked out of anything...and if you're locked out then I will be too so we would have each other at least?" He sighed, " Even Adam and Eve went to heaven Jack, they got locked out of Eden." He smiled softly. "Sometimes you just have to try."

With that-

\--

Gabriel woke up...and he saw Jack sitting on his bed. "...Good morning." He beamed, " I didn't think that would happen so fast..."

"What happened?... where am I?" he murmured in confusion, looking back at Gabriel.

" My bedroom," Gabriel laughed, stretching and rolling his shoulders before cracking his neck. "Los Angeles, California." He slipped out of bed, in a pair of tight black boxers with little skulls on them. " Sorry it's a mess I haven't had to entertain in a while." His version of a mess was an overflowing hamper and a water glass beside the bed. Otherwise everything else was orderly and neat. He moved to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Jack just stared at Gabriel in confusion. He may as well have been speaking in tongues for all he knew. Los Angeles wasn't a prominent city or a city at all back then, and California was barely a state and more a western territory, so maybe he didn't know about it?

"You consider this messy?" he murmured in surprise. He'd never survive in this world if it was...He cautiously drifted around and peered at Gabriel in the bathroom every now and then.

"You know, California, everybody was finding gold there...and Los Angeles wasn't a thing yet..." He spoke around his toothbrush, "For me it's messy. Everyone else tells me I'm OCD." He laughed before he spat in the sink and rinsed. He watched Jack drift about before smiling softly. "It's 2016...been a little over a hundred years..." He finished with his teeth then rinsed and began to dress. 

"We're in the middle of the gold rush territories?" Jack asked in surprise, though that made sense. No wonder Gabriel had so many things he'd never seen before! This must have been all the things gold would buy you if you found it. "How much gold did you find?" he asked curiously before Gabriel stated the year and Jack nearly fell over. 100 years... 100 years since he'd fallen and failed his family, his horse, and his country. He looked a little sick- " You okay Jack?"

"My family and the farm must be gone already then..." he murmured softly, "And it's going to be impossible to find wherever they buried Harley..."

"Oh ye of little faith," Gabriel smiled softly, trying to reassure him. "Animal spirits aren't like human spirits, animals are pure souls too, they can come and go mostly at will, but many domesticated animals choose to stay with their people...Harley may be another horse somewhere in the world, most likely around here though...probably a younger horse too. They know, it's hard to describe, but I've seen ancient souls in some creatures. Animals that haven't found what they were looking for yet..." He pulled a black hoodie on and was quick to find a pair of neatly folded darkwash jeans to wear with them. The ends were tapered at his ankles, which clearly wouldn't accommodate boots in Jack's time. Some thick socks followed and the poor spirit just looked more and more confused. "We just need the phenacite I used so it has your energy and find a soul tied to it!" He retrieved the crystal from under his pillow and stretched. "I have someone filling in for me at the shop anyway. We'll have to wait for her though."

"You own a shop?"

" Family run since we immigrated here way back when. My step in has a nice little beach house down-"

"Gabo~" a sweet voice called from downstairs as if on cue.

"She got up early..." He grinned, moving to snatch a pair of black beat up looking lace up boots. He slipped into them and tightened them half way, the tapered jeans easily fit in them. "I'll have to help you find something comfortable to float around in." He beamed at Jack. A beanie was retrieved off the counter and he trotted down the stairs.

"Your wife?" he asked curiously before shaking his head. "I... don't know how that's possible..." They made their way downstairs and Gabriel rounded the corner at the bottom, taking a sharp left after that to the back entrance. A short little Hispanic woman was waiting at the door as Gabriel unlocked it.

"Mamá-"

"Mijo, you need to take breaks more often, look at you! You're back in the pullover hoodies." She scoffed at him, murmuring something in Spanish before she spotted Jack. "Oh a new client? Or is he your guide?! Muy guapo, Gabriel! I am his mother Rosa!"

"Mom-" Gabriel huffed as she interrupted him again.

"What's your name?"

"Jack Morrison, ma'am. Thank you for asking," he said with a soft nod, "Your son has agreed to help me."

"Such a nice boy," She beamed then scolded Gabriel in Spanish while he just looked mortified.

"Mamá, we don't have time for this. Come on Jack-"

"¡Espere!" she huffed, "You can't let him walk around like that!" She gestured to his clothes before digging through her comically large purse to produce her phone. Then she whipped it to a picture of a young man in a plaid button down, jeans and boots. "Imagine that..." She instructed. "It's a shame Gabriel didn't like any of the boys I tried to set him up with....are you single?" Jack was a little startled by just how insistent Gabriel's mother was, and while he didn't understand what she was saying exactly through her accent, he felt quite a bit of second-hand embarrassment for him. 

"I-it's fine, ma'am. Really..." he murmured hesitantly, but he did as he was told, afraid to find out what would happen if he refused. 

"MA!" Gabriel hid his face in his hands before his mother waved them out.

"You could use a good mannered boy to help you with yours." She teased, "Now go on, go save the world."

"No more fortune reading," he warned his mother, "You know it gives you migraines..."

"Vamos!" she waved him off.


	2. Healing

"Sorry about her..."

"Not at all. She seems like a lovely woman. Concerned for her son, that's all."

"She wants grandchildren. I'm her only son," He smirked, leading the way to the back parking area. It was really nothing more than an unused alleyway garage, but it was his spot nonetheless. "She supported me being gay as long as I promised to adopt someday. Which is fine by me, I like kids. Just haven't found the right guy. So she made me a profile on a couple different dating sites and sends guys she thinks I would like my way."

"A reasonable request, really..." Jack mused, "Considering you like children anyway." He didn't feel the need to share more of his story yet. It felt like Gabriel already knew more than enough about him. He watched Gabe as he slipped into the little black car. It was a hybrid car that looked expensive but thankfully hadn't been awful. It helped that it was a few years old and well loved when he bought it.

"I love her but she's got to calm down..." He smirked, "We're going to stop by a friend's ranch, they know most of the trainers and horse people in the area I can get a good idea of where to start from them...you would know Harley from his behavior right?" As Jack slipped into the car, he seemed incredibly nervous, and more so when it started up. Gabriel was calm though. This death trap might have been okay?... He was still tense as they went.

"Yes... I'd like to think so. I raised him from the time he was born..." Though truthfully, he wasn't so certain...

"Then it shouldn't be too hard...heh, this is an automobile by the way." He beamed, "This one is one of the safest. We're headed to a former client's place..."

"It doesn't sound safe," Jack murmured before the car began to move. He threw his hands out to either side to brace himself against the door and the center console. He didn't like that he couldn't feel the car beneath him as it moved. A horse had more control in his hands at least.

Gabriel couldn't help but find it humorous. 

 

The ranch was out of town and the owners quickly came out to meet him. As Gabriel was talking and explaining the situation, some of the horses around here (Jack would see anyway) had odd souls. Some of them were regular horses but others looked nothing like their bodies, some were other animals entirely. In a field though with the younger horses stood one by the gate, ears perked and tail slightly raised. He nickered at first, cautious and curious all at once. Gabriel's phenacite started to grow warmer.

"These... these aren't horses..." Jack muttered in confusion. He didn't even recognize some of these animals... but that was when he heard the nicker. He looked over, suddenly flooded with memories of watching Harley prance back and forth by the gate whenever he wanted attention. Jack floated over slowly, unsure if it was just this easy. The young horse whinnied again and started to pace the fence until Jack reached him. He stuck his nose out as far as he could then nickered and nuzzled into his hand.

Cautiously, Jack held out his hand, only smiling when the horse nuzzled him. He drifted closer and gently rubbed his nose and cheeks. "Harley?"

Gabriel found Jack by the pen and made his way to him. Just as he was about to tell Jack where someone had a new horse, he could feel the phenacite burning in his pocket. "....Well? Does it feel like him?" The horse was three years old, and he was tall and thick. He hadn't been gelded yet but he was soft and sweet with Jack.

"Harley was always sweet with me. He nipped at anyone else who tried to pet him when he was this age," Jack murmured with a smile before he looked back at Gabriel. "Don't you have some magic stone you were bringing? Can't that tell us?"

Gabriel flashed a smirk and pulled it out, the stone was practically glowing, "It has to feel right with you though...it can't just be the stone, magic is just as much about the self."

Jack glanced at the stone before looking back at Harley. He kissed his nose with a sigh. "I'm glad you're here Harley. I'm sorry I let you down..." he murmured, still petting and speaking to him softly before the owners came over. The horse seemed to understand what Jack was saying, and his ears fell before he nudged him. 

"Actually, I think I found the one I'm looking for. I'll need to talk to my boarding barn, but I can arrange it soon." Gabriel insisted.

"You like Nibbles? He's not entirely broke yet-"

"That's okay I know a guy, are you selling him?"

"We are, with his breeding he's quite expensive, but since you helped our son I can give you a special price." Gabriel about choked however. So did Jack. He hadn't realized horses were so expensive, but Ana and Reinhardt would take care of him without much expense, so he dug out his checkbook and began to write out the largest number of zeroes following a five he'd ever spent at once. He almost didn't want to let go of it, but five grand would be worth it he told himself. Especially if Jack stayed....

"Gabriel, it's okay, I-" he started, but stopped. He could only stare in shock as the paper was exchanged and arrangements were being made. Gabriel had thanked the owners then sat in his car and leaned back against the seat, waiting for Jack to finish reuniting with his horse. _Cute little fuck better appreciate this_. He smirked as Jack slipped through the door.

"I'll call Ana and Rein when we get home. Now we just have to find out what happened to your family and the farm right?"

"You... you didn't have to do that," Jack murmured, "They were overselling him. He should have been two or three hundred dollars, less if he really wasn't broken in yet..." He still sat in stunned silence for a moment before looking over at Gabriel, like he was seeing him in a slightly new light. "Why did you do that like it was nothing? Harley and I aren't worth that much..."

"I keep forgetting what time you're from," Gabriel chuckled, "Horses are a lot more expensive now, and the value of the dollar has dropped a bit, so things in general cost more. You can't buy much for pennies now." He smiled at Jack, "They wanted ten grand for him because of the breeding they put in him, but we got him half price, if that's what it takes to help then so be it. He'll have a good home where you can see him every day and we know he'll be taken care of. Besides if he's that great I wouldn't mind learning to ride...I have never spent that much money in one place before though, mierda..." He groaned and put a palm against his head. "Mamá is going to kill me." he started up the car again and off they went. "We're going to hit the library now and see if I can get into public records from here, where are you from again? Indiana right?"

"Yes... Indiana, a little small farm outside of Bloomington," he murmured, looking back at Gabriel. "... I'm not sure how to thank you for taking care of Harley. He'll treat you well..."

Gabriel smiled softly, "You don't have to Jack, he knows you're safe now, he'll come find you when this life is over."

 

The library was in an old familiar style building to Jack anyway. The machine Gabriel used not so much. He was on the computer filing through page after page of Bloomington news until he smirked. "So, in the 1900's your family started a local dairy up there, and it's still running, they also do local meat and produce too." He showed Jack the news clipping and then the website Morrison Dairy had up. "They have different recipes and columns in magazines, and it seems like they did well." He let Jack look it over. "Obituaries from back then say your parents passed away of old age and are buried there...beside you...? Maybe they found your body or they made a marker for you..."

"They made it through without me then..." he murmured softly, relieved but also feeling a pang in his gut. He should have been there. He wanted to be there. Even more so when Gabriel showed him the pictures on his family's website. "They all made it through... that's good then," he murmured with a soft sigh, "I'd be so worried the farm would fail without my pay. But it looks like my brothers stepped up even though they insisted they didn't want to..."

" I wouldn't say that, I bet your pension helped a lot. You were in the cavalry for a while...at least according to the records." He smiled softly, " You helped them through the 1930's...there was a big stock market crash, to be able to go through that you needed old money or you sold your farm." He went to pat his back then thought better of it in public, he settled for patting the space where his hand would be beside him. " Here look, 'Made into a business by third generation Jack Morrison II, the dairy prides itself in quality product and care for our livestock. Open pasture raised cattle and free roam chickens-' that means the stuff is expensive, 'we believe happy animals means happy customers.'" Gabriel beamed, "They do farm tours of the barns too." He clicked a picture then blinked at a young man with a dairy cow, " They're pretty big aren't they? I didn't know cows could get that big..."

"Are you joshing? You must be a city boy," he teased with a smirk, "That one in the picture's a medium one. They're called Holstiens and they come even bigger than that." He chuckled softly and sat back. "Well if they do tours, you should go one day. Get your feet wet on the farm and everything."

" Joshing?" Gabriel raised a brow.

"Yes. You know... joking?" Jack murmured, not understanding why Gabriel repeated the word.

" Nobody says it anymore that's all," He grinned. " I've lived in LA my whole life, I'm probably as city as it gets." He teased, "Especially compared to you, Indiana." He tilted his head, " I wouldn't mind...would you?" He paused. " It might do you some good to visit your parents' grave at least..."

 "No. Absolutely not. You are not to spend another dime on me," he muttered with a huff and a frown, "You already spent a fortune on Harley. I will not allow you to spend even more to take a wagon or car or whatever it is you have now all the way to Indiana."

 " It would be cheaper if we flew but I'm not going to torture you with that." He sighed, " Maybe we can talk to them here..." He crossed his arms, " We could hold a séance or see if I can call them in with a pendulum..."

"It wouldn't pull them from the afterlife if that's where they wanted to be, right?..." he asked hesitantly, sitting back and looking at the pictures of the farm. "I'd rather do that then go to Indiana on your dollars."

" No not at all, it would be like...like writing a letter except instead of waiting for a response they would simply talk to you." He blinked, " Were telephones a thing for you back then? I don't know, but you'll be able to talk to them and they can talk to you, it wouldn't pull them from wherever they are." He reassured. 

Jack slowly nodded, relaxing a bit more at the metaphors used. "Our town center had a telegraph office, if that's what you mean?" Jack asked before sighing slowly. "I'd like to try talking to them. As long as it doesn't disturb them none." He paused and glanced away. He'd asked Gabriel for all this help, and the other man had done everything unquestioningly. He didn't want to admit to him it hadn't worked like he'd thought.

"They don't have to respond at first if they don't want to be bothered, but I have a feeling their souls want to hear from you just as badly as you do..." He paused as someone gave him a weird look for talking to a patch of air. He waited until they were back in the parking lot to speak again. " I'm glad your little farm is successful still. That has to feel good to know."

"Feels good to see Harley well and the farm thriving... but it doesn't feel like it should."

"...How so?" Gabriel led the way to the car, taking his place in the driver's seat. "What's bothering you?" Jack cautiously floated into the passenger seat, bracing himself again, though he wasn't as panicked. He may have already been dead, but he could still be cautious about these metal behemoths. He considered Gabriel's question for a long moment in the silence before shaking his head.

"I thought once I knew, I'd feel full. Fulfilled, happy..." He sighed slowly and shook his head, "It feels empty."

"....Sorry Jack," Gabriel sighed, " I'm not sure how to help with that." He sat in the car with him, just trying to figure out what to do for him before sighing softly, " Want to meet some friends of mine?" He chuckled, " You might like the big guy, he was a knight way back when. You two might get along."

Jack paused and shook his head. "It's not your problem to solve. You've done everything I asked, no matter how impossible it seemed," Jack stated, shaking his head before sighing slowly. "I suppose after all this time I expected to feel some kind of euphoria before I moved on." He paused and glanced over at Gabriel before nodding. "I suppose it would be nice. Will we contact my parents later?"

" Jack..." Gabriel smiled and nodded, " We could even do that first if you'd rather..." He started up the car and began the drive home. Jack nodded slowly, finally taking the time to look around at the world as they began to drive by neighborhoods of unfamiliar homes. It was the first time he'd stopped to try and look around at the world Gabriel lived in and the one he now found himself in. He began to ask questions about everything he was seeing the entire way home, even as the car was placed in park. He was slowly beginning to see how the world had advanced.

"So much has changed... but so much in the people has stayed the same..."

Gabriel nodded with him, " We're all Americans that's for sure." He rolled his shoulders, " Everybody just wants to live their life and live it the way they want." He paused, " You think maybe this feeling is because you have unfinished business here?...Maybe you didn't fulfill your purpose?" He tilted his head, " What were your dreams when you were alive? What did you want most in the world?"

Jack paused as he drifted out of the car toward Gabriel's home. He looked up at it curiously, thinking to himself. "All this time I've been focused on the past. I never really thought about what I missed..." he murmured before cautiously looking back at Gabriel. "I had a lot of dreams. Most of them were cut short by the war. I just wanted to help my family and the farm..." He trailed off and sighed slowly. "I suppose there was more before, but when I died, all I wanted was my family to be okay."

So then why wasn't that enough?!

" You need time to think about yourself a little while. You helped them Jack, whether you think so or not you did...and I'm sure they're proud of you for it." Gabriel led the way into the shop and kissed his mother on the cheek as she greeted him, " Be right back to help mom..."

" Take your time mijo..." She quickly went back to her tarot reading, which Gabriel only sighed and shook his head about.

He led Jack to his living room and gestured that he sit on the couch while he cleaned it up. " Take a deep breath, and think, and when you feel like you want to talk just start doing it."

"Thank you, though I don't know what to say..." he murmured softly as he slowly sank onto the couch. For a long time everything had been about his family and the farm. He tried to think about himself, but he still wondered about his brothers and mother and father... He rubbed his neck again and sighed. "I wanted my own family too, once... not in the traditional sense, I suppose," he murmured, his brow furrowed in thought, "I'm proud to have served, but I'm also... upset I didn't live out the domesticity of the farm. I missed so much of what happened..."

Gabriel listened and nodded with him, " So we need to talk to your parents...and you need to decide if you are happy with crossing over or if you want to stay...and if you stay you need to be bound to another soul, which I wouldn't mind being your tether." He smiled softly, "That would mean you would have to be my spirit guide...since my magic would require an equal exchange anyway, otherwise the spell would wear off."

"I don't know if I want to cross over feeling like this..." he murmured after a moment, sighing softly. "Maybe they'll make me feel better about it..." Though he found himself looking at Gabriel again and watching him closely. "That would mean I'd be helping you do this? Putting the dead to rest?"

Gabriel gave a nod, " You seem like a soul that needs time to live not rest. You need to find your own way, and you need to see the world for yourself. I can help with that, but you have to want it too..."

"Is that even possible? It's not too late?" Jack murmured softly, his voice filled with his disbelief. 

" It's not too late when you've got me." Gabriel reassured him, " Let me get some candles ready and some stones, it will do you some good to talk to your family too. I can teach you some magic stuff too if you want?"

He began to explain regardless.

Lavender candles were for attracting the paranormal, spirits and beings of other planes and often radiated a peaceful, healing energy. White candles were for seeking truth, and helped amplify the peaceful aura. He wanted Jack's family to find a place for healing and reconnecting without a veil. He arranged the candles in a circle and drew a sigil in the middle of them with chalk...straight on his floor.

" Don't worry it comes off easily."

He then set to arranging a few stones in the center of the sigil, the phenacite tied to Jack, an amethyst stone for spiritual clarity, and an obsidian just to protect from negative energy and to dispel it. To strengthen that effect, he placed a small black candle in the center of the arrangement of stones. Then he set to lighting them, the lavender candles first.

" As I open this safe space spirits hear my plea. I search for a family lost to one of your own, may they feel the energy in the stones within the circle and come to make peace and find truth...spirits of my ancestors help protect them and protect us from those who wish to do them harm, protect against all negative energies and only allow the positive through...." He took a deep breath and placed his hands in the sigil to cast the spell. The candles flared and a soft purple portal seemed to open.

" What are their names Jack?"

"John and Mary..." he murmured softly, rubbing his arm, "What if it's not them?..."

" Just like finding Harley Jack, they'll find the souls that are tied to yours..." He sat back and waited, watching the small portal before it flashed.

" Jack?" A woman's voice first. " Jack honey is that you? Where are you? Are you okay?" Her voice wavered slightly before a face appeared, like a reflection in a mirror in the portal. She was older than Jack remembered, her features weathered with age before she gasped, " JOHN IT'S HIM!" Then a man appeared beside her and the usually stoic vision of his father had a wash of relief overcome his face before he broke down with her. 

"Mom...Dad?" he questioned with quivering voice, quickly stepping forward to try and see them better. He smiled a bit, feeling himself choke up when his father began to break down too. He'd never imagined his father with tears in his eyes before. "I'm sorry I haven't come... I've been stuck for the longest time," he admitted before hesitating, "I'm still stuck."

" I didn't think we were gonna see you at this rate..." He was able to reach through the portal and touch Jack's face, at least, after he'd leaned into the circle. " My son...you're a hero...You know that right?"

"I-I'm hardly a hero. I lost Harley and I died. I didn't do any of the things I promised you... I let my whole battalion down..." He hesitated before looking at Gabriel. "But I met a man who told me we won... a-and that the farm did okay. _You_ did okay..."

" We did, baby boy...with the money you made all the months you were gone...your brothers helped as much as they could and grew up to be strong young men too." She smiled softly, "You can talk to them too-"

"Jack." Gabriel interrupted, "I can give you some privacy..."

"No no, stay," his father insisted, "I want to meet the man who brought my son home." Gabriel blinked and nodded, scooting over to be close to Jack so they could see.

"Leave the other boys alone Mary this isn't about them." He smiled softly as he watched Jack. "....After you left your mother told me about...your gravitation towards boys your age....and I regretted never apologizin to you, Jack. I said some horrible things in our day and I never got a chance to say I was sorry...you're a good man, and I am proud of you, you did your best. You didn't fail anybody Jack, not when you went in knowing you might not come back out..."

He flushed a bit and looked away, clearing his throat softly. "T-Thank you, pa," he murmured nervously, hesitant to look Gabriel in the eye. At least Gabriel had already said he was gay too.

"We love you little J." Mary reached through the portal to hug him,"You and Harley worked so hard...when you're ready we'll be here..." He hugged her back with a soft sigh.

"I found Harley again, ma. I'm going to be here awhile to help with him..." he explained before cautiously reaching through to hug his father. "But thank you... I needed to see you again."

"We're happy to see you too...the portal won't stay open for long...are you sure you don't just want to come with us?" Mary brushed his hair back out of his eyes. John gave a small nod.

"You can always come home, Jack..." Gabriel sat there conflicted. Even after just a day spent with Jack he liked him more and more. He didn't know if he could go back to the silence after meeting him...but this wasn't about Gabe...this was about Jack. Gabriel remained silent while Jack conversed with his parents.

Jack hesitated and shook his head no. "I'm sorry, I just... don't feel ready yet," he murmured softly, hesitantly, embarrassed to say it out loud. "I feel empty. I need time to try and figure out why..." he murmured before reaching to take both their hands, "but seeing you... knowing the farm survived. That's the biggest relief I could have hoped for." He also felt, deep down, after what Gabriel had done, it wasn't time to leave him yet. At least not before the city boy learned to ride a horse. "Besides, I've got to teach Gabriel how to ride too. Can't let him go without learning that much."

"When you're ready then." Mary giggled then kissed his cheeks again. "Teach him well, you and Harley are the best after all."

John smirked and gave a nod, "Keep in touch son, make that witch of yours keep doing this for you, don't be a stranger."

"Of course we are," Jack said with a confident little smile. He hugged both his parents once more with a nod. "I won't be. I love you both. Tell the rest of the family I love them too," he said with a smile. Then the portal was closed. Jack took a deep breath and sighed it out slowly. It took him a moment before he looked back at Gabriel. "Thank you. I needed... it's good to see they're okay."

Gabriel gave a nod, " We can meet up with Ana and Rein tomorrow, you've had a big day...I'm going to go relieve my mother if you want to stick around and see how the shop is run." He closed the circle with a small chant thanking his ancestors for finding the right spirits and thanking them for protecting them from dark forces. He then sprinkled some salt over the sigil to dispel it before cleaning up. He organized his crystals based on purification methods and left them on his desk, ready to charge once the sun set. He then led the way downstairs.

 

Rosa was still seated at the counter and had just finished her reading. She smirked up at her son, " No headaches~"

" Not yet anyway," he scoffed. " Want me to set up your table?"

" You spoil your mother Gabriel." She beamed, watching him do so. The shop was amazing. One wouldn't be able to tell from the outside just how much Gabriel kept in here. The shop windows were wide and advertisements geared towards tourists wanting to see the weirder side of LA. It was a clever disguise anyway. The windows and main entrance were on the north wall, the counter with the register was just across the showroom on the south wall.

The whole room was shaped like an octagon, what would be the corners of a square appeared to be any number of things. The north east corner was a display on proper care of an herbal garden with real herbs growing. It gave the shop its earthy scent as well while the rest of the atmosphere could be blamed on dragonsblood incense. Half the east wall was dedicated to potion ingredients, from the herbs grown in the shop, to strange accumulations such as Manticore spines and Dragon tears. The other half was a conglomeration of published spell books and blank journals with privacy sigils suggested in a small leaflet in the pages.

Meanwhile the north west corner housed a large crystal cluster with a sign saying: DON'T TOUCH. It was mostly clear quartz, but some of the impurities in it dyed the stone orange in long ribbons. A few of the points of the crystal were actually a soft pink, indicating that they were rose quartz instead. A descriptive plaque beneath explained the importance of different kinds of quartz to a witch. A huge collection of stones in different crates lined the West wall. Each crate was labeled by gemstone, mineral, or crystal and then whether or not it was tumbled or raw. A brief description of how to use the stones was placed on a tag between the boxes.

In the south east corner was Rosa's area, near the counter where she had her own little table and all of her things on a shelf made out of the wall there. She had a jar labeled dragon bones next to a collection of beautiful crystal balls. They ranged from as clear as glass to a dark black obsidian, and Rosa claimed to scry through them all. Each crystal would be for different questions and energies she read on her customers. She had her different tarot decks on the next shelf coupled with bundles of herbs for cleansing the energies summoned by her scrying.

The south west corner was dedicated to a local pet shelter where a few pictures of different animals and employees were posted. These employees were magically inclined, and if you were looking for a pet or had hoped to find a compatible familiar they would help. That also seemed to be the plea corner, where anonymous requests could be posted and clients could take them and cast good luck spells over. Gabriel had a strict policy about requesting curses and would comb the board and take down curse requests.

In the center of the room were a few free standing shelves that acted like aisles. One side of the first shelf was dedicated to different types of wood for a wand while the other side of the same shelf had smaller crystal points to pick from for the wand. The next shelf had materials for altars of all kinds, from animal skulls to different colored candles and small bolts of velvet and suede. This is also where rune pouches could be found. The other shelves seemed to be all manner of miscellaneous items that those looking for them would know what to do with them. Some were dark colored potions and others were objects that were too alien looking to decipher.

Customers ambled around the shop looking for oddities or ingredients, some were tourists that giggled about voodoo dolls and evil candles. Gabriel seemed to just drift around, making sure no one had any specific questions.

Jack watched and slowly drifted after Gabriel. He felt strange about all of this magic stuff, and moreso when Gabriel took over the shop and he had a chance to really look around. The shelves and curios stacked with unfamiliar things made him feel a little alienated. Was this just how people lived now? He drifted around quietly for a bit before glancing at Gabriel again. He wasn't sure what to do with himself in a place like this. He was a farm boy who made biscuits in his spare time...

After a moment's thought, he drifted back upstairs. Gabriel watched him go with a soft sigh, hoping Jack actually felt better instead of just saying so. Closing happened an hour later, and he offered to help his mother home but she waved him off.

" Go check on him, make sure he's okay." She kissed his cheek, "Buenos noches, Gabriel." She beamed, making her way to her car.

Gabriel made sure everything was in place and then locked down the shop after she left. He started up the stairs and blinked at the scent of something warm and buttery wafting from beneath the door. " Jack?" He blinked once he was up in his apartment before beaming, " You decided to cook." He moved to the kitchen where Jack had just finished with the oven and a plate of biscuits sat on the counter still steaming. 

"This world might be confusing and your whole home doesn't make a lick of sense to me, but the one thing that hasn't changed in all these years is my biscuit recipe." Jack paused and huffed softly. "Even if I can't eat them and it took awhile to figure out your oven."

Gabriel grinned and laughed, "Thanks~" He sat at the table and leaned on his hand, gratefully accepting a biscuit. After a bite of that flakey buttery goodness he sighed, " This would be really good with some gravy too...and hot sauce." He happily ate it anyway. " We can make meat pies with this too~ We're going to be great roommates." He teased. Jack's whole face lit up as Gabriel hummed in delight with the little pats of bread and Gabriel couldn't help but sigh through his nose and shake his head at him. When did he like the farm boy type? Now he was wondering what would happen if he let Jack slip through his fingers...

"That's an awful lot more than I'm capable of, but if you have ideas, I can make the biscuits," Jack declared in the meantime, he watched Gabriel think and then the other spoke up.

" How long do you want to stay?" He tilted his head, " What's your goal?"

"I don't know... to exist for awhile? To see if this feeling goes away..." Jack replied softly before smirking a bit. "To teach a certain city boy how to ride." Ahhhhh that smirk, Gabriel could only grin back. 

" Then you need a body." Gabriel moved to a little bookshelf by his desk and produced his own book of shadows. " I have an old deep freeze downstairs in the back that I don't use anymore, I could probably have Reinhardt help me bring it up here and take the shelves out...that way we have somewhere to store it so it doesn't start stinking up the place when you aren't using it..."

Jack paused and floated through the counter to eye Gabriel skeptically. "Didn't you say I needed to be tethered to another soul to stay here?" he asked cautiously, not quite understanding what had now changed. "I am not interested in stealing someone's body or life to further my own." He paused and drifted back into the kitchen. "I would rather remain a spirit then."

" If you're staying here long term then yes, if you live here, using the body without a tether is going to rot it faster, but if you're only staying for a bit then that doesn't matter and it becomes fertilizer for the herb garden downstairs and on the roof." He shrugged, " I can make it with ingredients I get from the Zieglers." He nodded.

Jack huffed softly, looking down at the dirty pan he still had to scrub from biscuit-making. "So... I either stay long-term and be tethered to you, or I stay short term and leave when my body rots away?" he asked, trying to clarify, but even as the words left his mouth they felt wrong. "How long can I have to think about it?..."

It had been a long day. There was no way Jack was making any more decisions today...

" We don't have to make any rash decisions now, we can think on it and decide in a week if you need that long. It's easier to train a horse when you have some weight though right?" He teased softly, "Or are you going to make me do that to learn to ride?" Jack paused before smirking slowly. He had wanted to be the first one on Harley but there was no better way to learn than to get right on. On the other hand, Jack didn't want to put him on an unbroken horse and scare him off.

"I don't know if you can handle it, city boy," he teased with a chuckle, "It is easier, I suppose... but Harley isn't going to get broken and trained in a few weeks or even a month..." He glanced up at Gabriel. "So tell me the truth. How long do I have before I need to leave? If I'm not tethered..."

" ...." Gabriel sighed, " Your demands specifically keeping you here have been filled, so I would guess you have maybe...a year? If that?" He took off his beanie and ran a hand through his hair. "Six months is more likely..." Jack paused and looked at the ground. Six months was not enough time. Not even close. How badly did he want to train Harley? How badly did he want to see Gabriel that often?

"I need to think about it," he said quietly before sighing, "I just... need to think." He wasn't ready to give up his soul to a relative stranger. He didn't know if he would be. But he had six months to find out...


	3. Time and Patience

That night was spent making sure Jack had a temporary tether in his phenacite. It would keep him grounded in the area the crystal was in, and it would help Jack expend less energy to stay.

Gabriel fell asleep in his bed for once, playing on his phone until he was too tired to keep his eyes open.

The next morning he called Ana and Reinhardt to meet him at the ranch with a trailer.

" You bought a horse...for a ghost?"

" I know it sounds crazy-"

" Yes it does."

" Just...hear me out, I don't...I don't want him to leave...I have a really really good feeling about this and I don't want to live in a family home by myself anymore." He huffed. " It'll be fine, I just have to give him time."

" So you do like him..." Ana snickered on the other end of the line. " Most people don't drop that kind of money on a whim."

" Shut up you did more for Reinhardt," Gabriel snickered back.

Reinhardt chuckled in the background of the phone call. "Ana! Let him dream! It's dreams that brought us together!" he declared proudly, "Dreams that brought us Fareeha!" He chuckled softly, "It is a lot of money, but Gabriel hasn't been wrong before about these gut feelings, ja?" 

Ana sighed softly at her husband before shaking her head, " We'll meet you there with the trailer, and I want to meet him too Gabe. Don't...don't let your hopes run away with you though..." She warned. " He may want to cross over, he may not want to cope with how the world has changed..."

" I know...I know." He sighed. " I'll bring his crystal, he'll wake up when he wakes up."

He hung up and sighed, glancing at the phenacite in the windowsill, it charged all night in the moonlight and now had a soft glow about it in the morning sun. He shook his head and put it in his pocket before leaving the shop. He was early enough he had an hour or two before he had to open.

 

As Gabriel hung up, Ana sighed and glanced up at Reinhardt. " Is she still asleep?" She wondered, wandering into the baby's room. " I'll get her car seat ready, will you hook up the trailer- and use the truck this time don't just drag the trailer to the truck." she teased him, standing on her tip toes to kiss his cheek.

"It's good to be cautious, but I'm glad he's started to dream again," he mused with a chuckle and a shake of his head. "Fareeha is still sleeping, but I'm sure she'll be awake before we can even buckle her in," he teased with a chuckle, "She takes after me that way." When Ana mentioned the trailer, his grin only grew. "But liebling, that takes twice as long!" he teased before turning to kiss her gently. "Meet you outside. Let me know if she gives you any trouble!"

Ana shook her head and watched him go, she was happy for Gabriel too, but she didn't want him to get hurt. Fareeha stayed asleep until Ana picked her up. She murmured to her in Arabic, beaming as the baby responded with soft coos instead of a fuss. "That's a good girl..." Ana glanced out and sighed as Reinhardt did things his own way anyway, picking up the bumper pull by the hitch and dragging it to the truck. " Your daddy is silly..." She teased, moving to the changing table to get Fareeha ready for a car ride. 

 

Jack woke slowly as they drove toward the ranch. He began to form in Gabriel's pocket at first before he drifted out to the passenger seat with a huff. "Did I oversleep?" he murmured softly, rubbing his eyes, "You should have woken me... where are we going?"

" You're fine, I bet you haven't slept in a long time..." Gabriel smirked, "We're going to pick up Harley and bring him to his new home. Ana and Reinhardt have a horse trailer and we're going to load him up and bring him...well to their place, I clearly don't have room." He teased.

"Oh so... Harley will be living with them?" Jack asked, glancing over at Gabriel, cautiously bracing himself but he was getting more used to how the car moved beneath him. "Are they going to treat him well?" He wasn't exactly comfortable with another barn handling his horse. He knew he didn't have any say in it, however. It wasn't like a dead man could make his own barn, and he'd realized quickly Gabriel's shop and home was more city than he was used to.

Gabriel nodded, " They have horses too, he'll have plenty of friends." He smirked, " Ana and Reinhardt are good people, they'll take very good care of your horse."

Gabriel and Jack beat them there, but Ana let Reinhardt go meet them first so she could handle Fareeha. She had a sling she put the baby in and supported her with an arm.

"Hello! Ana is bringing Fareeha from the car, but we are excited to meet this Harley we'll be taking care of!" Reinhardt's attention was soon off of the horse and to the very feint silhouette next to Gabriel. "Ha! Nice to meet you Jack!"

" Gabriel!" Ana gave a wave and soon met with them too, " So where is our new friend?"

As if on cue the horse whinnied from his pasture.

" I meant your new ghosty friend," Ana teased, squinting a little before beaming, " You must be Jack! I'm Ana, this is my husband Reinhardt." Fareeha giggled and tugged on her mother's long hair. " And this is Fareeha."

Jack was surprised that they could see him at all, but Reinhardt was so friendly, almost overly so. Ana seemed a bit more calm compared to him... "It's a pleasure, sir, ma'am. Gabriel has told me you raise horses?"

"Ja, no need for concern," Reinhardt declared proudly, "We'll take good care of Harley for you!"

" Reinhardt has a way with draft horses, and I have a few Arabians of my own." She smiled softly, "I run a lesson barn and show when I have time. Harley will probably go out with my old gelding, he's been needing a friend that won't pick on him." She watched the horse now as he paced the fence. " Otherwise he can have the little pasture by himself if he doesn't get along."

Gabriel beamed, " See? He'll be in good hands. They left his halter on the gate, and he should load up just fine...right?"

Ana nodded, " If not Reinhardt can pick him up." She teased.

Jack seemed to still be hesitant, but he nodded slowly. At least they seemed to know some of the proper terminology for horses. "I just want him to be comfortable. He's had enough fighting for several lifetimes..." Jack mused, looking out at the pasture and wondering what would have happened to both of them if he'd never brought Harley. Would he have survived as a foot soldier? Would Harley have lived on the farm and survived without him?

Reinhardt could see that Jack was lost in thought, so he only chuckled softly at Gabriel's question. "Ja, though... maybe no carrying after the trailer," he said with a soft, nervous laugh, knowing Ana would scold him for doing it precisely the way she told him not to.

Ana nodded then smirked at Reinhardt, " I told you..." She scoffed at him. 

Jack looked back at them with a small smile. "I will help you. Harley was a little... nibbley as a baby. He might not have grown out of it yet now." Harley was very patient with the halter but he did try to nibble on Reinhardt as he led him along, moving his lip and resting his teeth on his arm without actually biting. Jack was happy to float beside Harley as he was being loaded into the trailer. The trailers were very different from anything they used to have, but Harley didn't seem to be as much of a fish out of water as he was in this new world. Gabriel watched the spirit and his horse, finding a small nervousness rise in his chest as they went. He now wasn't entirely sure he could ride a creature that much taller than him.

Ana pat the horse and cradled Fareeha as she did so. " He's beautiful." She watched Reinhardt load Harley up then beamed at Jack, " Ready to see his new home?"

" Thank you, miss Ana...he was a little darker back then, but he's still Harley..." Jack replied proudly. Once Harley was all packed up, Jack stated that he was ready, he was excited to see where Harley would be living. It wasn't until they were back in the car that he spoke to Gabriel. "You haven't been around horses much, have you?" Jack asked, glancing over at him, "Is Harley really your first? You looked like you were scared of him."

" I've never been around a horse outside the fence." Gabriel confessed. " I know literally nothing about them." He chuckled uneasily, watching Harley swish his tail as Reinhardt shut the divider. " They're pretty and they're friendly, but they're big and I really don't want to be kicked." He rubbed his neck.

Ana sighed, " I tried to get you riding my horse a long time ago, and all of Reinhardt's are placid and friendly..."

" His are even bigger!"

Jack shook his head with the hint of a smirk. "It's good to be careful, but you're not going to get kicked unless you're doing something you're not supposed to," he stated, feeling good that there was one more thing he still knew about in this world of unfamiliar things. Biscuits and horses... he could hang onto that. "Size doesn't matter. It's temperament you need to watch out for. The smallest horse could kick your teeth out if he's in the mood."

" Very reassuring Jack," Gabe mumbled.

Reinhardt meanwhile chuckled and clapped Gabriel on the back. "You've got yourself a farm boy, alright," he teased with a chuckle, "Send him my way once in awhile! Maybe I can put him to work, ha!"

Gabriel smirked, "Jack would definitely appreciate it that's for sure. I'm positive the shop gets boring." He helped Ana shut the doors then nodded and lightly pat Harley's nose through the window. "Alright we'll follow you." The spirit's whole face lit up at the idea of working at a barn again, but he was trying not to get too excited too quickly. He wanted to see the barn first and the condition of it before he agreed to any part of that. He pat Harley's nose as he walked by before following Gabriel back to the car. "They seem nice," he murmured, trying to start a conversation as they pulled away from the ranch.

"How long have you known them?"

"Ana and I went to high school together, then she went on to college and I took over the shop. She met Reinhardt while studying abroad...he's a Manticore isn't that crazy?" He smirked, "Every magical creature has a different way to hide in normal society, but his Amulet was dying fast so Ana and I reconnected because she couldn't trust anyone to make his amulet for her but me." Gabriel nodded. "They moved back home after Ana got her masters and here we are." As the trailer pulled out, they followed. "You know what a Manticore is right?"

"Should I?" he murmured in confusion, "This entire world is new to me. I don't even know what your shop is or anything in it," he stated, sounding a little frustrated by that, "We weren't exactly taught about Manticores and magic in school."

"So you didn't take a mythology class...got it." Gabriel chuckled.

"I went to church," Jack retorted with a huff, "I learned about magic and demons there, but not like this."

"Manticores are lion like monsters, monsters being a classification not a testament of the being here." He smirked, "They used to range all over Europe way back when but hunting brought them to extinction. The traditional Greek Manticore, and the species that seemed to be the precursor to modern Manticores had the head of a man, the tail of a scorpion, the horns of a goat and the body of a lion. Reinhardt is the Northern-Germanic species, he looks more like a werewolf with wings except he's a lion. The barbs on his tail are more like rose thorns. His horns are massive too, everything about the guy is huge. Their daughter in turn is most likely to discover her magic as a sphinx when she grows up."

Jack tried to listen, though the creature he described sounded terrifying and nothing like the mountain of a man that he'd just met. "So Ana is a monster too?" he asked in confusion, looking over at Gabriel with a furrowed brow. He was lost and it was frustrating. Why did so much have to change? "So he's a beast with an amulet that keeps him disguised as a human... walking amongst men like the demons I used to read about..."

"No, Manticore-human hybrids are sphinxes," Gabriel clarified. He paused then sighed, "Demons are completely different...demons are dark manifestations of energy, they latch on to people and slowly drain them of good energy like vampires....only they don't drink blood they feed on that negative energy, they drag people down and possess them...demons aren't like my clients and I've made it my job to banish evil entities like that back to hell where they belong." Jack listened, but he'd fallen silent on his half of the car. What Gabriel said made sense in some way, but it wasn't everything he'd grown up knowing. Gabriel spoke about it like it was all so easy.

"This isn't easy," he muttered, letting out a low sigh to try and stay calm and not snap, he ultimately failed with a frustrated groan. "I'm dead, Gabriel! I spoke to my dead parents through a magic portal, and you're talking about all these creatures and things like I should have known them from birth." He frowned. "I'm a farm boy from Indiana, alright? I don't know and I don't understand any of this magic and monster stuff." Gabriel blinked then fell silent, unsure of what to say. He could apologize but he felt like he was just helping...he didn't feel like he was belittling Jack, but...maybe his mom was right about his bad manners...he hated the silence. Jack wasn't a fan of the silence either, but he just needed a few minutes to think. Some time to sit back and find something familiar. He didn't want to be told everything he knew was wrong. He had to keep faith that he was right, that he learned his lessons well, to believe in God and a plan, just to believe in something... why else would he still be here feeling like a stranger in his own country? They were quiet the whole time up until they pulled into the little farm Ana and Rein lived on. He still wasn't sure what to say when they exited the car but Ana caught a hint in Gabriel's eyes and her expression fell.

_what did you do now Gabe..._

"Alright, Harley has a stall ready in the barn." She let Reinhardt unload the horse and lead him there. The barn had twenty stalls, ten on each side, and Harley was smack dab in the middle across from what appeared to be a tack room. He had a window in the back of his stall that he could poke his head out of, and a hay door on the stall that could be left open for his curious whims as well. The old Gelding Ana talked about was stalled beside him and they began to sniff each other over the wall.

"He looks happy," Jack murmured. He blinked when he realized he had been left alone with Ana however. He sighed slowly. "And... this is your gelding?"

Ana nodded, "This is Haalima, it means Visionary." He was a dark grey, with a black mane and tail with greying hairs around his nose and eyes. He had a slight dish to his face, softer than some of the other horses around. She pat his head. "He was my eventing horse. We jumped anything and everything. No war horse by any means but he's a good boy." Jack nodded, reaching out to pet Haalima's head. This was something he understood. This was familiar. He sighed and floated through the stall to pet Harley and check him.

"He sounds like quite the horse. Harley was hardly built for shows, but we protected each other until the very end..."

Ana beamed and nodded, "A horse is only as good as his trust in his rider, and vice versa." She adjusted Fareeha so she could see the horses which made her coo and kick her feet. "Are you settling in alright Jack?" She finally answered. "Gabriel can be quite brash." Jack nodded at her words- sage advice from a woman who clearly knew her way around a horse. He gently pat Harley's face, smirking a bit at the baby. He soon frowned at her question, however.

"No... so much has changed. Now I find out there's witches, monsters, and demons? It's not his fault, I just don't belong here..." he scoffed with a soft huff, "But I don't belong on the other side, either."

Ana gave a small smile, " I remember first getting into all of this. I didn't have a mother like Gabriel's...my family was quite traditional in that magic was always bad..." She smiled at Fareeha and kissed her head, " If I had listened...I wouldn't have met Reinhardt or had Fareeha..." She watched the horses and sighed softly, " It's hard to take in, but maybe you should tell Gabriel what you want to see." She nodded. Jack sighed and leaned his face on Harley's neck before turning to look back at Ana.

"Thank you, but I'll be fine," he murmured with a small nod. It didn't fix how he felt but she was trying. So was Gabriel... he had done so much already to answer his requests. "I don't know what that is yet..." he admitted quietly before he saw Gabriel and Reinhardt returning.

" ...Try to make Gabriel take you somewhere...make him show you something new, that doesn't have to do with magic. Maybe that will help. There's a nice national park not far..." Gabriel leaned on the post near Harley's door. 

" How is he?" 

Jack nodded at her words before glancing up at Gabriel. He relaxed a bit in his presence despite their earlier spat. "Fine. He's settling in well with some new friends. I'm sure he'll be well taken care of here," he murmured before floating back through the stall. "Thank you again.... for making sure he's safe."

Reinhardt beamed and flashed a very obvious thumbs up at Gabriel with a wink. "Then you two should get out of here and do something fun!"

"No problem..." He shot a sort of exasperated glare at Reinhardt before sighing softly and shrugging, "Not a bad idea do you think?" Gabriel offered.

"Yeah..." he murmured before sighing, "Maybe something non-magic this time?..." Though he didn't have high hopes that would make him feel any better.

"I still have to work though...so maybe if you really want to cook while I'm working I can show you how everything works and we can go have dinner on the beach or something-" that sounded like a date. Shit that really sounded like a date. "Or not I mean we can eat at home and then go do something...." Jack paused and seemed to consider the offer. He may not have understood Gabriel's work, but he could still cook. And it sounded like he'd be cooking with new things, but again, it would be his recipe and his touch. And then they'd go to the beach...He may not have been able to eat the food, but the image was one he didn't want to miss. It felt normal and like a scenario he'd dreamed of when he first saw the ocean while training in Boston but he'd never been a part of.

"No. That sounds nice. I will think of what to make..." Reinhardt flashed Gabriel another enthusiastic thumbs up.

Ana nudged him then smiled, " Have fun boys."

Gabriel drove home then walked Jack through how to use the oven, stove top, and crock pot, not that he would need that last one, but just in case. He then trotted back down stairs to run the shop. While Gabriel was in the shop, Jack whipped up a true Sunday dinner. It wasn't Sunday and he couldn't eat anything he made, but it made him feel better to imagine himself back in the little farm kitchen helping his mother make dinner. He made everything he'd been missing from breaded pork to roasted corn and finished off with a sweet cream pie. By the time Gabriel came upstairs again, Jack was just finishing the last of the food.

"It felt good to just cook..." he murmured with a sigh, "Thank you."

" Yea," Gabriel beamed, " You made a lot of food." He smirked, " Leftovers for days." He grinned, " I'll help you pack it up and we can head out." He fished out a basket that would fit everything then paused, " Will you grab my beach towel out of the closet? It's a big red one..."

Jack sighed softly. "It felt more normal that way," he admitted with a sigh. He could pretend while he was cooking that he could eat all of this, even though the reality was the exact opposite. He did chuckle softly at Gabriel's excitement over leftovers, however. "I have to keep my host fed somehow, right?" he murmured. His mother had always taught him as much anyway. He drifted to the closet to retrieve the towel, surprised to feel comfortable doing this. It was domestic and familiar though... he supposed that was why.

Once everything was packed, Gabriel led the way back downstairs. "Have you been to the beach before?" the basket went in the back seat and he took his seat before starting the car. "Especially at this time of day..."

Jack drifted after Gabriel, floating through walls and doors. It felt surreal to do so, but it was the easiest way to keep up with the other man. "I trained in Boston before I was sent out," he said with a soft sigh, "There really weren't beaches there though. So people just... eat on the beach here?" he asked curiously. He was fairly certain people had done that on the coasts before, but he'd never been anywhere long enough to find out.

"Yea, like a normal picnic. Hopefully this is a good new for you." Gabriel beamed, packing up the car then slipping in. 

The sun was just starting to set and the beach was busy but not terribly so. The sand was a creamy tan color and stretched for miles while the deep blue-green ocean simply lapped against it. The beach blossomed with the various colors of beach umbrellas and towels while the laughter of children and the mild hum of conversation filled the air, accompanying the sing-song screeching of seagulls. The sky was slowly being dyed orange and yellow as they got out of the car. Gabriel shed a few layers and once situated, unpacked the basket from the car. "Now where to go so no one notices..." He found a spot near a rocky outcrop to block them from most everyone else where he and Jack could talk. That way no one would witness the crazy guy in a beanie and black talking to thin air. "This should do it..."

"So no one sees you talking to yourself?" he teased with a gentle smirk.

"Yes," Gabriel scoffed, setting out the towel and then plopping down on it. Jack settled softly beside him. "I've never been that far east. Must have been pretty neat to be where the revolution basically started." he had portioned out everything Jack had cooked to come out here and was pulling out his plate as he spoke.

"It was very different from this place... I imagine I wouldn't recognize it anymore. Same as if I returned to Bloomington," he mused before sighing, "I suppose then it's better I ended up in a completely new place." He watched Gabriel portion the food, hoping he liked it. That would be the only way Jack would know he did a decent job. "It was a pretty big city for me... the biggest I'd seen anyway."

Gabriel nodded as he spoke, LA was much bigger, but Jack already knew that. "It wasn't cold was it? Anything under fifty is a no-go. Even fifty is cold." He teased and took the first bite. He sighed happily and went for another, watching the waves roll in and drift back out.

Jack smirked a bit and tilted his head. "It was freezing," he declared with a chuckle. "I arrived in late summer. We trained until well into the winter and then marched in Spring." He chuckled softly and shook his head. "It felt like I had never seen so much snow in my life..."

"Freezing for me or you?" He scoffed. "I thought Indiana got bad storms too, or maybe you just hit Boston at a bad time." Gabriel smiled softly. This was nice...he hardly took time for himself anymore with how busy he was getting, so to have a little break was nice. It was slowly starting to feel like a date now.

"Why not both?" Jack asked with the hint of a smirk, "It was cold. Cold is cold, no matter where you come from." He sat and watched the ocean for a moment before glancing over at Gabriel. He was still staring at him quietly when the other spoke up.

"So Reinhardt said you could work for them, do you want to?"

"I suppose. Though barn work is easier when you have a physical form. There's not much I can do like this." He paused and looked over at the ocean again. "I guess it would make sense if I stay here to work there instead of your shop. I'd understand it more anyway."

"I can still make you a body...then it will be easier to work with the horses." Gabriel nodded. "Ana can come pick you up or I can go drop you off. It might be nice to get out of the shop every once in a while....by the way...this is some of the best food I've ever eaten. Little bland compared to my mom's spicy stuff....but good." Jack still seemed hesitant. A body felt so permanent, and he wasn't sure if he was really ready for that.

"Maybe another day," he murmured hesitantly, "Not yet..." He was about to drift off in his own thoughts when Gabriel complimented the food. He relaxed with a small chuckle. "Thank you. It's some of the things we'd make every Sunday," he stated, nodding a bit, "I'll take your reaction as a sign I remembered those recipes well."

"I'd say so." Gabriel nodded, falling into comfortable silence as he ate and watched the ocean. Jack didn't mind the silence. Out here it wasn't like in the car when he felt like Gabriel expected him to ask or understand this magic. He knew he was in a new place here, but it felt comfortable.

 "Are you happy staying here?" Gabriel asked after a moment, "Or are you at least finding it easier to deal?"

"In this moment... I feel like I might," he murmured before sighing and shaking his head. "I just need time. All I ask is that you're patient." He glanced at Gabriel, seeking his approval of that.

"I can do that," Gabriel agreed, setting his now empty plate aside to watch the sun set. He sighed softly then flopped back against the towel. "Y'know...White magic has corn spells..." Jack smiled softly as the sun was setting, relaxing and for a moment just imagining this was a different time. He felt warm and content until Gabriel brought up magic again. At first he wanted to snap, but as Gabriel's words hit him, he furrowed his brow at him.

"Like... corn corn? Not magic corn or something?"

"Regular every day sweet corn," He grinned, "People bring me old spell books and one of them was a book of light." He sat up. "I read it cover to cover and almost every spell called for different kinds of corn." He grinned, "It had cooking magic, healing magic, animal magic, like a nature book." He sighed, then sat back up, frowning at the ocean before scoffing at himself. "The craft is all I know, Jack. I've been doing this since I was thirteen. I know it rocks your world but maybe we can teach each other. I'm going to learn things your way, be patient with me too." Jack was intrigued but part of him was still frustrated they couldn't have one day together that wasn't about magic. He was about to snap again in frustration when Gabriel made his appeal and he paused. It was unfair of him to keep expecting Gabriel to bend to his will too. They came from different times and different worlds, but that didn't mean they had to be focused on one or the other. He looked back at the sunset slowly.

"I'm sorry... I've been so overwhelmed here, I didn't really think of what it would be like for you to accommodate me..." He paused and sighed slowly. "Patience with each other then... I can do that."

" Thanks...I'm sorry too." 

" It's alright Gabe...we'll learn." 


	4. Haunted

Jack's first day would be two days later.

Gabriel dropped him off in the morning and made sure Ana had his Phenacite to keep him there in the present. She met them in the barn with Fareeha in her sling. " Ready to get started?" She beamed, " Don't worry it's really just Reinhardt and I here so you can make things float and no one is going to get scared." She led him down the aisle of the barn. " So all the horses in here get four flakes of hay every day, two in the morning and two at night, Reinhardt feeds in the morning so you don't have to worry about that. After we muck stalls then we turn out, Harley is going to go out with Haalima in the first pasture, then the mares and then the colts and fillies." She walked him back around to the round pen. " All of the horses can free lunge here, so you can bring them out and make them run both ways ten minutes each, I'll leave a list so will Reinhardt...and I'll ride after Fareeha has a nap. The babysitter should be here soon...any questions?" He shook his head, for the first time looking bright eyed and excited.

"I've had quite a bit of experience. Just leave it to me," he said with a content smirk. By the time Ana came out to ride, Jack had the horses turned out and was working to make sure the stalls looked good for their return.

"Nice work Jack." She beamed, "Reinhardt doesn't have many horses over in the draft barn so he'll be in to help you soon. Unless you finish before him." She watched Harley and Haalima play before she pulled one of her lesson horses out to exercise.

Jack smiled widely, leaning on his pitchfork. He looked like he was on cloud nine being back in his element like this. "Don't worry about it, it's not too bad over here. Harley's just always been the messy one," he chimed with a chuckle, shaking his head. 

"I have a couple lesson kids that come by every other day, you might like teaching lessons too if you stick around." she set to grooming the horse then.

"Maybe... but if I do anything it's going to be breaking Harley and then teaching Gabriel to ride," he declared with a nod, "There's no way he's getting away with spending that money on Harley and never getting on him."

"He needs to do something besides work that much is certain." She laughed, now soft brushing the horse. She moved to grab a saddle pad and her saddle. "You look happier today." the more she watched him the happier she was no one was going to walk in on a stall picking itself. Jack needed this, something to ground him, something to make him feel less like a passenger and more like a participant.

"Clearly," Jack teased with a smirk, "I've watched him working that shop. Still don't understand what he does though," Jack mused. He her observation made him chuckle softly. "I'm boot-deep in shit. That's what I know how to do," he teased before glancing back at her, "Not much has changed about mucking a barn. It's nice to not feel lost for once, I suppose."

She smirked, " I can promise you there's nothing different about taking care of the horses either, routinely maybe, but that's about it...you could probably help Reinhardt with his driving pair when you're done if you'd like, or you can groom for me." She led her horse to the arena to ride.

Jack watched Ana before chuckling softly. "I want to work with Harley. I might not be able to ride him, but he's still got a lot to learn," he said with a sigh, leaning on the pitchfork again. "I'll help if you need, but if Gabriel has any hope of getting on Harley, he's gotta learn."

"Then get to work cowboy." She teased.

Harley stood at the gate in rapt attention, nickering when Jack came close. He perked his ears and pawed the gate until Jack had his halter on and he was leaving the pasture. "Come on, boy," he teased as he led him back to the barn. "We're going to teach you to be good for your new owner." Harley seemed unsure about that statement but he obediently followed anyway. Despite having an old soul the horse was still young and he was alert and full of energy even in the cross ties. while Jack groomed him he chewed the ties and shifted his weight on his back feet, his ears on a swivel as he heard Ana's horse in the arena. A sharp whistle left Jack's lips. 

"Harley, stop it. Be patient," he scolded continuing to groom the horse. It was an old action that use to be his signal for Harley to pay attention and listen. He didn't know if the young horse would pick up on it just yet, but he needed to learn. Thankfully his ears shot back to the noise and he stood stiff and still for a moment before relaxing and lowering his head. It seemed he remembered the cue at least. Once brushed and saddled he followed Jack out to the round pens to lunge. At least it looked like he had had a saddle on before for he didn't buck or squeal about it. Instead he just shook his head and cantered about, happy to get some energy out before their work would begin. It was a small victory, but one that hit Jack straight in the chest. He was thrilled that Harley was still in there, just a younger more excited version of him.  If Jack wasn't convinced before, he was definitely convinced now. His stride hadn't changed at all and neither had his little hiccups. Jack knew exactly what to work on because it was what he and Harley always worked on.

It took fifteen minutes for Harley to calm down, and once he did, he had a bit in his mouth and Jack was mounting. He was lighter than air now, so he didn't even know if this would work. He didn't think that Harley would listen to Gabe without weight on his back to start. He had to focus on Jack's small points of pressure on his sides and what Jack was doing with the reins instead. He listened and followed as best he could, sometimes distracted by noises or other horses whinnying in the distance. He snorted and swished his tail as Jack poked him to trot off. It was a start of the process, and each time Harley got too distracted, a whistle brought him back to focus.

"That's it Harley. I'm here. We're in this together. But you have to focus. For both of us." It was peaceful out here...far hotter than any Indiana winter, but the hissing of grasshoppers and chirping of birds was familiar. The scent of hay and horses was nice too, but there was something to be missed about even the stinkiest cow. After trotting both ways for ten minutes he urged Harley to canter. There was a soft protest, a little hop in his back end before he cantered forward, quick legged and clumsy, but that was just how a baby moved. Jack couldn't be more proud of him, he remembered almost everything, and he was taking the time to relax and let Harley slow down as he glanced about the farm. Harley focused as best he could before a knock at the round pen spooked him. He hadn't spotted Reinhardt coming up to the pen and it made his head shoot up and his whole body jump sideways. He snorted and stared at the large man for a moment. Jack felt a rush of fear and gripped the saddle horn, even though he couldn't really get hurt, the movement was a sharp reminder of their days on the battlefield. Harley being spooked by cannonfire saved his life, but it also killed them both. Jack felt trapped for a moment in the memory before trying to shake it off. He whistled again for Harley's attention before making him walk it out. He needed a second to breathe too. Once they stopped again Harley gently touched the area where Jack's knee would be.

"Sorry, sorry," Reinhardt chuckled, watching the two work. "He's probably got the same memories you do...being young amplifies the fear. He seems to listen though. Have you tried humming while you ride? Usually helps my horses when I drive them." He leaned on the gate. "Happy to be on a horse again?"

Jack let out a long sigh too, not realizing his hands were shaking until he went to move the reins. He reached out to gently touch Harley's nose. "We're okay, big guy..." he murmured before looking up at Reinhardt. "It's fine, it's fine!" he called out with another anxious huff. He gently urged Harley forward again. "No, I never have. I suppose I can try," he replied before hesitating at the next question. "Yeah, like riding a bike. You never forget!" Though that wasn't the whole truth. His memories had him shaken.

Reinhardt smiled softly and watched him ride. "Go around again. I want to watch someone who rides like I do...in the older style." He grinned, hoping to help Jack out of the fog he hadn't meant to cause. "He's got a champion in his blood this round, but you're so familiar with him already, does he move the same way?" Jack hesitated and gripped the reins tighter. He wanted to run. He wanted to get off of Harley and just run for the barn, but his pride wouldn't let him. He took a breath and kept Harley moving.

"Heh, I don't know if I'd say that. I ride rough. Enough to get the job done, nothing fancy," he replied with a feigned smirk. "He rides just like he used to. Harley was smooth when he wanted and rough when he wanted. I can feel that same energy here."

Reinhardt nodded, watching the horse start to tense with his rider. " Take a deep breath..." His voice was quiet for once. "Forget everything but you and your horse...hum a little, the first melody that comes to mind." Jack was hearing gunfire echo in his ears as he rode. He could almost smell the gunpowder in the air. His hands tightened on the reins again before Reinhardt brought him back to the present. He huffed and tried to focus, but all that came to mind were the marching songs his company used to sing on long marches through the countryside. He grimaced and shook his head. He gently urged Harley to stop.

"It's... it's not happening right now," he murmured, "We... I need to stop..."

"Take it easy," Reinhardt quickly stepped in to take the horse and give Jack something to help him dismount. "It's hard but these little victories will help...No amount of magic can make trauma go away." Being so close to the larger man meant Jack could see his clouded eye, and the large scar that lay there, and if that was only one there was no telling how many scars lay beneath his clothes. Jack was shaking as he slowly got off of Harley. He hadn't expected his memories to hit him so hard, but they were like a punch to the gut and he felt winded and reeling.

"No, I suppose not..." he murmured hesitantly as he sighed slowly. He took Harley from Reinhardt, planning on at least teaching him to sit still for a bath. He didn't know how to respond to Reinhardt's words. He could just hear gunfire and see people dropping around him one by one. The older man pat Harley.

"I'll call Gabriel if you're ready to go home."

"No... no I want to spend some more time with Harley and make sure he's okay..." he murmured, leading Harley off, "I'll be fine..." Reinhardt let him go with a soft sigh. They had more in common than he had realized. Harley was calm and quiet, as if he knew something was wrong. It was some how strangely reassuring to see the horse calm so quickly, he didn't think he could do this if Harley was freaking out too. The wash rack was just beside the tack room, and after getting untacked he led Harley into it.

Ana was just finishing up, walking in after riding her second horse. "How was he Jack?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. He was great," he said with a nod, clipping Harley into the crossties "He just got spooked so we're going to call it a day for today. But he's getting there."

Ana sighed, "He can have the oldest soul in the world and he's still a baby right here." She smiled, "He's only three, he's doing his best." Jack nodded, figuring out the hose then washing Harley down.

"Yeah, I know. He's doing great," he stated with a nod. He was the one who felt like he let Harley down, not the other way around... when Harley was finished, Jack led him back to his stall. 

 

Meanwhile Reinhardt sidled his way up to his wife. " Hello handsome how were your horses?" 

"Wonderful! As always," he declared before his smile faltered as he peered around for Jack. "How is Jack doing?"

"He seemed bothered, did something happen?" She sighed, "Maybe even this is a little too much for him too? Maybe he's having flashbacks? He could have PTSD from everything he saw...you have it under control don't you?" She sighed. "You would be the best one to talk to about it." She brought him lower to kiss his cheek.

Reinhardt sighed slowly. "I spooked poor Harley coming out of the round pen and both of them ended up with flashbacks. At least that's what it looked like," he mused with another sigh. "We should call Gabriel too. He should know what happened before he comes to pick Jack up today."

Ana nodded, "I leave that to you, I'll try and talk to Jack."

 

Harley was squeegeed of excess water before being put back in his stall. He happily took a treat from Jack, seeming to have bounced back rather quickly. He snuffled Jack's face with a soft sigh through his nostrils. Jack sighed back against Harley's nose.

"I know, big guy. You're doing great, I just gotta catch up..." he muttered before Ana appeared.

"I heard you needed a little break...want to help me bring in everyone else?" 

"Oh, uh... sure. Is it that time already?"

"It's supposed to get pretty hot today, maybe too much so for the older horses while they have a bit of a coat." Ana waved him to follow. "Reinhardt's big kids need to come out and play too. We're just doing rotation." Jack paused before nodding. He snuck Harley one last treat before following Ana out. He only prayed that his mind wouldn't keep playing tricks on him and keep him from Harley. He couldn't bear not being able to ride him.

"Just tell me who to catch and consider it done."

" You can bring Haa in first, I'll go after two of the colts and you can bring two more in. The fillies can stay out today, and then we'll go get the big guys." She smirked, " I think you'll like them."

She did as she said then waited for him at the end of the first barn. " Reinhardt's horses all live just across the drive way there. He built that barn to have bigger stalls when we moved here." She explained as they went. Once they entered the large door the barn lit up with deep nickers and huge boxy heads poked out of stalls. Everything about these horses were heavy, their leather halters, the thick cotton leads and their equipment just looked heavy. " So the first big guy here is Abendstern, which means Evening Star in German, we call him Abe. He's Reinhardt's favorite." She beamed, " He's a black forest horse, and he's just like all the others of his breed with that dark coat and light mane and tail. He's a sweetie." The horse in question poked his head out curiously to sniff at Jack, though he seemed confused that the human he clearly saw didn't have a smell. " His drive partner is Morgen, which is morning in German." She smirked, " Clever right?" She looked just like him, but she seemed to be the smarter one for she was not nearly as confused once she snuffled Jack. " We'll take them out first." These horses were huge, but they followed Jack and Ana with such care, both of them were almost delicate in their manners and waited patiently for their halters to come off before they tore for the back of the pasture. " Were you ever around a horse that big?" She teased. 

"I... I didn't know they made them that big..." He was in awe, watching the power behind their movements and the sheer muscle rippling beneath dark skin and coats. " They're beautiful..." 

Ana grinned, "They have to be for Reinhardt, apparently back then it was a good idea to have a war horse with that kind of build." She smirked, " Big and hard to take down." She led the way back into the barn to get the other horses, these last four were Percherons, and they were Reinhardt's fancy driving team. All of the horses were broke to ride but they pulled more often than not, they were big and grey, dappled with different shades and with silver manes and tails. Ana introduced each of them as well and pointed out which ones did which job. One of them was Reinhardt's stallion, and he had his own pasture off to the side. Ana walked him out on a chain to keep him humble then turned him loose as well. 

 

Meanwhile Reinhardt was soon on the phone to Gabriel's shop. "Gabriel?" he asked as the phone was answered before the other spoke. "Hello my friend! Jack has had a little incident here with us. He doesn't want to come home yet, but both Ana and I suspect it is PTSD."

"Wait what happened? Is he- of course not he's dead, but is he okay at least?" Gabriel sighed, "Thanks for letting me know Rein...have you tried talking to him? Is he calm now?"

"Ha, don't worry so much, my friend, he's fine. Just shaken," Reinhardt explained before smiling softly, "I would hazard to guess he was having some flashbacks to the war. I've spoken with him, but I think this may be your chance to bond a little, ja?" He chuckled lowly. "Show him he's got you, not just Ana and I."

" ....How did Ana help you Rein?" 

Reinhardt chuckled softly. "Not the best example, Gabriel! We were already dating when it came out," he teased before humming thoughtfully. "She made me feel loved and safe. Above all, I knew if anything drew me back to those times, she would be there to pull me back out."

Gabriel chuckled on the other end, " Thanks Reinhardt I think I can do that. Is everything else going alright though? He's enjoying it otherwise?" 

Reinhardt laughed loudly, nodding even though Gabriel couldn't see. "I feel like I should be paying him! I can't buy help this good," he teased with another laugh, "Before that incident with Harley, he seemed quite happy too."

"If he sticks around you may need to start paying him." Gabriel snickered back. "Thanks Reinhardt, I'll be by at 5." 

 

Five came soon after, and Jack was floating around Harley's stall. He didn't even realize the time himself. "I promise I'll do better, Harley..." he murmured softly, his eyes closing as he rested his forehead against Harley's.

Reinhardt was at the drive to meet Gabriel with a grin. "He's in the barn..." The necromancer gave a nod as he slipped out of the car. 

"Did Ana give you his stone?" He took it gratefully. "She's inside with Fareeha right? I won't bother her."

Reinhardt nodded, beaming as he handed it over. "Ja, she mentioned it cooled off a bit this afternoon, but that's nothing you can't fix, I'm sure!" he declared happily, "Ja, she is feeding her now. I'll let her know you said hello! Stay awhile after you drop Jack off next time!"

" Will do big guy." 

Once in the barn Gabriel gave a wave, "Did you have a nice break from me?" he teased. "He looks happy~" Harley's ears pricked as he munched his hay but he promptly ignored Gabriel for another bite. "Ready to go home?"

Jack glanced up at his voice, reluctantly pulling away from Harley's stall. "You say that as if I should have enjoyed being apart from you..." he murmured with the hint of a smirk, though it was clear he still had something on his mind. "Yeah... yeah, Harley's all fed so I'm ready."

" I've been told I'm pretty overbearing sometimes, it's nice to have some time with your horse though isn't it?" He watched Harley eat a bit longer before leading the way back to the car.

"You're not overbearing," Jack murmured with the hint of a smirk, shaking his head. "But yes, Harley and I needed some time together. Now we know what to work on." He followed Gabriel quietly, and the silence lasted through the car ride until Gabriel spoke again. 

" So how was it? You look a little bothered..." He paused. Deception wasn't the best way to go about this he decided. " Reinhardt said you had a flashback today...do you want to talk about it?"

He tensed a bit, shifting uncomfortably. "There's... not much to talk about. I didn't think I'd remember things so... intensely, and I did," he murmured before glancing away. He was scared though, and he didn't know how to admit it exactly. He didn't want to be afraid of his own horse. "I wasn't ready for it."

"That's what happens when people go through something that jarring, it's okay, and it's normal for a solider who's been through what you have..." He smiled softly, "I'm here and willing to help and listen when you need me. No magic or mumbo jumbo I promise...however we might consider talking to a professional if this gets too out of hand. I know some people who know other people who can help further. Might be a good idea in the long run, but I won't push." He gave a nod then beamed, "Working with Harley is going to be good for you, one of the things I learned from Ana is that slow, small doses of exposure to your trigger usually helps you overcome it. I'm not sure what she did with Reinhardt but he's not a recluse anymore so it worked. I'm positive it will help you too."

Gabriel hoped his optimism wasn't belittling the problem though.

"I'll be okay, I just need to work on getting Harley not to spook, that's all... then we'll both be fine." Jack hoped anyway... he really didn't want the smell of burning flesh and gunpowder every time Harley misstepped or jumped a bit. "I'm breaking him in for you, remember? Harley is technically your horse now," Jack murmured as he glanced over at Gabriel before settling into the seat. "Either way... we have work to do together. But... thanks. I'll be fine..." It was one thing coming from Reinhardt, but hearing Gabriel talking about it in non-magical terms somehow felt more comforting. He couldn't really explain why.

They were home in an hour and Gabriel heard all about Harley and the other horses. "So you want to go back tomorrow is that what I'm hearing?" He grinned.

"Yes, I do," he said firmly with a confident smile, "It felt like being home... minus the walking through walls thing."

"Can't do that with a pitchfork in your hand though, so it felt better than ghosting around the shop all the time I'm sure." Gabriel ran his thumb over the stone in his pocket, happy to know it had warmed up some more. "I have the day off tomorrow, Reinhardt said I should stick around and finally try riding Ana's horse."

"... You could go on Harley if you wanted," Jack offered, "He'll be yours after I'm gone anyway..."

Gabe blinked then nodded though his smile seemed to lose a bit of spark to it. "Yea but if you're still working with him I don't want to mess anything up...besides he's still young and if he's spooking at stuff I will fall. I want that to be my fault not his." He didn't know what to say after that. Here he was thinking Jack was beginning to like it here and instead he was still thinking about leaving.

Gabriel knew it shouldn't sting but it did.

"You won't mess anything up... you need to get used to each other too," Jack insisted, but he could see the hurt he caused in Gabriel's face. That hurt more than he expected. The gunpowder and memories choked him earlier, but now he felt like the life was being choked from him again just watching his smile fade like that.

 

That night after making sure everything was locked down, and once dinner was done and put away, Gabe showered and slipped back into bed. Sleep wouldn't come however. Insomnia was a reoccurring problem for him but not this badly. He played on his phone and watched a few videos online of stupid people failing at doing stupid things, but it became increasingly clear that he was afraid...he was afraid to fall asleep and wake up to Jack leaving. He was being selfish, he knew that, but he couldn't help it...He didn't want to be alone anymore. He rolled over to dig through his beside drawer, producing a milky white selenite wand. He shoved that under his pillow and rolled over, trying to focus on the crystal and falling asleep. Jack had kept quiet for most of the night, but he hadn't failed to notice Gabriel couldn't fall asleep. Eventually, Jack cautiously drifted over to him.

"Can't sleep?" he murmured hesitantly, unsure how he could even help or why he was trying to. "Do you want some warm milk or water or something?"

Gabriel sighed and slowly sat up, "Not really a milk guy outside of cereal and coffee." He scoffed, slipping out of bed and wandering to the kitchen, Jack slowly drifting after, "Tea usually works...tea and honey..." He shifted some things about in his cabinets before producing a little container shaped like a bear (the sticker had ALL NATURAL and LOCALLY HARVESTED on it). Next he turned on the stove, filled a little kettle full of water and then sat it on the burner. Meanwhile he grabbed one of the largest mugs Jack had ever seen and a tea infuser the size of a golf ball shaped like a skull. He packed it full of a minty smelling tea and then waited for the kettle.

"You put milk in your coffee?" Jack asked softly, the hint of humor in his voice as he spoke. 

"Only when I want something sweet or creamy I still like it black." his tone was half joking half defensive. That roused a smirk on Jack's face. The mug and little skull diffuser were so fitting for the other man, he couldn't help but laugh softly watching him. He picked up the bear container and looked over it curiously.

"Is that what helped you sleep? Warm milk?" He sighed and leaned on the counter.

"Warm milk was all we had, really," Jack mused with a shrug, looking back at Gabriel. His gaze was soft and tired in itself. "If any one of us had a bad dream, a cup of that and a song from ma usually had us asleep before the second verse."

"Mamá used to make a special tea whenever I had a sore throat...little milk, little honey, and she sang to me too..." He shook his head, "You first, how did that song go?"

Jack blinked then chuckled nervously. "I'm not much of a singer, you know..." he muttered nervously before glancing away. He definitely couldn't look at Gabriel when he sang this...

"That's alright you don't have to be it's a lullaby." Gabriel spoke as he closed his eyes and waited for him to be ready. Jack cleared his throat a bit nervously before he started.

_Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,_   
_Go to sleep little baby._   
_When you wake, you shall have,_   
_All the pretty little horses._

_Blacks and bays, dapples and greys,_   
_Go to sleep little baby._

Gabriel grinned and opened his eyes as Jack finished. "You're not too bad, Indiana. Always been a horse boy hm?" He chuckled and shook his head while Jack scoffed and turned a darker grey.

"I suppose I was. It meant the world though, and always put me to sleep," he said with a nod before watching Gabriel expectantly. 

"...my mother sang in Spanish. She didn't want me to forget where we came from I guess. Funny it took her so long to actually teach me how to speak it." A soft scoff and a roll of the eyes before he took a breath. He didn't need to clear his throat and his voice was a little higher than Jack's, but warm. He sang smooth like velvet and his tone was soft just as he remembered his mother singing it.

_Arrorró mi niño,_   
_arrorró mi sol,_   
_arrorró pedazo,_   
_de mi corazón._

_Este niño lindo_   
_ya quiere dormir;_   
_háganle la cuna_   
_de rosa y jazmín._

_Háganle la cama_   
_en el toronjil,_   
_y en la cabecera_   
_pónganle un jazmín_   
_que con su fragancia_   
_me lo haga dormir._

Just as he finished the kettle began to whistle and he pulled it off, pouring the hot water into the mug and then plopping the diffuser in. The hot water made words appear on the mug: De Pelos Brujo "I want to sing it to my kids too. I made sure to memorize it when I was little." His voice stirred something deep in Jack, something that made him smile softly and avert his eyes to the floor.

"It's a really nice one. I'm sure your kids will love it one day," he quietly agreed with a nod before chuckling, "Funny how one song can become the one thing we're so attached to."

"Yea..." Gabriel shook his head and glanced at the clock, making sure he steeped his tea properly. He fetched the diffuser out with a spoon and left it to cool while he added honey to his tea. Once he could open the little ceramic skull without burning his fingers he tapped the tea leaves out of it and left them on a saucer to dry out again. He returned to his bed to sit on the side and sip his tea. He felt the giant elephant in the room but he ignored it. Another topic for another day he had already decided.

"This should help...thanks for worrying about me." He smirked and sipped his tea, humming contentedly as the beverage warmed him to the core. Jack had watched his every move, and went over the steps in his head; as if he could memorize how to make the tea himself next time. Maybe he would if he noticed Gabriel struggling... Jack drifted after him and settled near his rock again instead of on the bed.

"I'm just glad you have something to help," he said with a nod. "Try to relax and not look at your bright screen thing... that will help too."

" Leave my phone out of this, it's done nothing to you," Gabriel laughed, sighing again as he could now drink the tea a little faster. That just made Jack smirk again and chuckle softly to himself.

Gabriel was out like a light once it was finished, the vibration of the selenite could be felt through the air as well, doing its job to help its owner sleep. Jack watched him sleep for a bit just to make sure Gabe stayed asleep, and once he felt it was safe enough, he moved to slip back into his own stone to sleep.

 

 


	5. So This is Trust

The next morning, Jack was floating through the kitchen before Gabriel woke up, preparing breakfast for him. He hoped he'd awaken to the smell rather then the sun rising slowly.

Gabe's alarm went off (thankfully) after Jack had already finished. Despite it being his day off he still had to get Jack to the ranch for his job. It was easier to wake up today, and Gabe made a mental note to start making that tea more often. Sleeping on the selenite may have helped as well, but he was going to attribute this to the tea.

He went about his routine, ambling to the bathroom to brush his teeth and do a little manscaping. He was then awake enough to catch the smell of bacon wafting in. It made his mouth water. " Jack?" He buttoned his jeans, threw on a red shirt and followed it with a black zip up and his beanie. Then he made his way to the kitchen. Waiting for Gabriel in the kitchen was a plate of bacon, sausage, eggs, toast, and a mug of coffee. Jack had even set out the cream and butter for him.

"Glad to see you awake," he said with a smile, "Eat up. You're going to need your energy today." Jack seemed excited about that. He was thrilled to not only get Gabriel on a horse but to teach him how to ride.

" Right," Gabriel smirked and took his seat, " I'm not used to eating a big breakfast, but if you're right then I'm going to have to start." He added a little sugar to the coffee and buttered his toast.

Jack chuckled softly, "There's a lot of physical work to riding a horse. It's more than just climbing on. You're typical slice of toast is still there, I just added to it."

" You are extremely chipper this morning."

"It's not every day I get to teach someone to ride. I'm excited to get you started and hopefully get that itch in you too." He glanced away and rubbed his neck. 

" Then I'd better eat fast."

He took his time despite his words however.

 

They reached the ranch just in time for Jack to start working, Ana helped him with the initial routine as usual before she got her horses together.

" Jack wanted to teach you himself, so you better listen to him," She teased. " Reinhardt is going to make sure you don't kill yourself."

" Thanks," he groaned, " Super reassuring there Anne." Ana shot him a look and Gabriel returned it with a smirk. He followed Jack from stall to stall, talking nonsense with him and asking questions along the way until he finished. Jack was a little too excited to get going with someone so green. He cleaned through the stalls but he didn't take as much time making it absolutely perfect. He was happy to answer any of Gabriel's questions, and it was clear how at home Jack felt in the barn. Then it was finally time.

" Okay, so am I riding Haalima or Harley? Did we make a decision on that yet?"

"Haalima. Harley's not quite ready yet, he'd just as soon buck you off and I want to get you on a horse more than once," Jack instructed, going to the older Arabian's stall. "She will be a good starting horse for you though, nice and calm. Think you can handle that, city boy?" Jack also didn't want to give Harley up.

"Haa it is then." Gabriel moved that way to halter and lead the horse. At least he knew that much, and how to groom. He finished brushing off the older horse and began to stroke his neck. "Are you riding with me or are you just going to give me a lesson?" He teased.

Jack was honestly impressed Gabriel knew anything about riding at all. He'd half expected Gabriel to try and put the halter on like a collar or something. He supervised Gabriel as he went, hesitantly turning away to go to the saddles after the question. "I'll be on the ground. No need for Harley to get spooked again," he murmured, though really he was scared. "I'll ride him later."

"Hey! Don't look so shocked, Ana had horses back in high school." He rolled his eyes. 

"That doesn't mean you know how to ride one," Jack teased back. He helped get a saddle on Haalima for Gabriel before leading him out.

" Do I need to make him run in a circle or anything? Or is he fine like this?"

" That's called lunging," Jack laughed, " and no, Haalima's pretty good. He'll get his exercise in with you." Jack pulled over a block for Gabriel, looking like a cat who ate the canary as he waited for him to climb on. "Alright, so if you're so smart from High School, how do you make him move forward?"

" I don't know how to ride, but I can walk one around on a leash." He snickered. He mounted then paused, " Tap?" He tapped his heels against the horse, but he stood still. Ana smirked as she rode by.

Jack chuckled softly. "Not quite," he teased before nodding at Gabriel's feet. "Right idea, though. Squeeze his sides gently with your heels and click your tongue. Or whistle. Whatever's easier for you to do."

Gabriel blinked then did as told, tapping and clicking until the horse moved forward. Gabriel instantly tensed and the horse stopped. "What happened?" He felt his heart racing as he gripped the reins. Jack chuckled softly. He floated up to gently sit on the saddle behind Gabriel, placing his hands on his. He squeezed his hands gently, trying to get him to stop holding the reins so tightly.

"He sensed you were scared. Horses are like that," he explained with a soft smirk, "Now breathe, relax, and press again. I'm right here if you get scared, alright?" Gabriel felt a chill run down his spine in the nicest way, Jack was cold (as most ghosts were) but his voice was so soft, he felt safe...he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding then nodded.

"Okay..." He clicked his tongue and tapped the horse again, and the gelding began to walk again. "I lied to Ana when we were younger...I told her I could ride and she put me on a horse. I fell off shortly after and scared it so bad it almost ran me over." He confessed quickly, trying to breathe and hold the reins gently. Jack's cool touch was helpful though, he sat up straight and took a deep breath. " I can do this..." 

Jack smiled softly, shaking his head. "But I'm here now. And I'm not going to let you fall, okay? You can totally do this." he stated with a nod, "Because if you keep being scared, you're just going to make him scared. He's going to think there's something wrong that he can't see." He hesitated before patting Gabriel's hand. "See? We've made a full way around the ring and nothing's happened. Just relax, focus on me if you have to."  Gabe just nodded, letting Jack guide his hands and help him out. Now he was walking around the ring with some confidence.

"I never thought I would see you on a horse again." Ana teased, walking up beside them. Gabriel only scoffed at her.

"Maybe not for your sake..." He teased.

Jack raised a brow at that, but he didn't say anything. He kept guiding Gabriel before releasing his hands and drifting back just a bit, trying to wean him off of his presence behind him. "Look at you go. We won't go any faster today, not until you're comfortable doing this on your own."

Reinhardt was at the fence, beaming as Gabriel rode by. "Heh, never thought I'd see the day!"

Ana stopped beside her husband and beamed with him. "He's got good form for just starting out."

"I think I'm getting the hang of it. When we're done do you mind if I watch you ride?" He mostly ignored the other two.

Jack chuckled and drifted away from Gabriel and Haalima, letting the witch ride on his own. "Heh, I don't know, it's not going to hold a candle compared to this," Jack teased brightly, obviously thrilled to see Gabriel on a horse. "Just put your heels down a little more- yes! Just like that!"

Reinhardt chuckled softly. "You know, his form would benefit from watching you, Jack!" he called out with a grin.

Jack seemed hesitant, but he nodded, "Right, once Gabriel's done though..."

"Ha ha very funny," He rolled his eyes, "what do I do with my hands?" that was a mumble. If he was supposed to guide with his legs what did he do with the reins?

Jack smiled softly at the question and mimicked the action of pulling them back for Gabriel. "If you want to stop, pull gently back and stop squeezing with your legs. You want to keep the reins firm to keep his head up, though. Make sure he's looking ahead too."

A soft nod from Gabriel as he did so, picking the horse's head up slightly so he wasn't dragging his head around. " Good boy...can I try to go faster?"

Jack smiled and nodded in approval. "Well...wait, do you feel like you can? Do you want me back up there with you? All you have to do is squeeze and click until he trots."

" Yea...I think I can..." He went to tap the horse off then gasped and grabbed the horn, " Nope nope I lied." He ground his teeth and sat back before huffing and tapping again. Halima's trot was a bit fast, but as long as Gabriel held onto the horn he was fine...but he was bouncing everywhere. " Hey...hah! I did it!"

"That's it, you're getting it!" he called out, applauding him a bit, though no sound came from his hands. He had almost considered riding with him again, but Gabriel pulled through. "Now, stand in your stirrups and move up and down with his trot. Bounce with him, not against him."

" Can't I just like make myself sit instead?" Gabriel grumbled, clinging to the saddle horn and trying to steer with his reins while he clung for dear life.

"You could, but that's a bouncier ride," he teased with a smirk. Eventually the horse's trot evened out and Gabriel didn't have to cling to stop bouncing.

" There..." He slowly let go of the horn and took the reins in both hands again. " Heh...there we go. Like that?"

"Yea, just like that, now we shouldn't go past a trot today, but how does that feel?" Jack asked with a smirk, "You look pretty good up there. You should do this more often."

"I think I will," Gabriel grinned, "As long as you're my teacher." He winked and let Haalima walk about again. Jack smiled a bit at that, only chuckling as the horse and rider circled again. Unlike his brothers had been, Gabriel was an easy student. He'd make progress in no time at all, Jack was sure of that.

"Alright horse master Morrison, your turn." He smirked as they walked back in. "Help me unsaddle and I'll help you groom." Jack's smile faded a bit, but Gabriel chose to ignore it, this was good for Jack, it had to help...even if he was afraid at first. 

"Hm... so it is..." he murmured before huffing softly and walking back in with Gabriel.

 

Soon, Harley was the one with a saddle on, and Jack was swallowing his urge to insist Gabriel try riding him. That was too dangerous and Harley needed an experienced rider to break him...Harley was his usual happy self, and nuzzled his cheek as both the horse and Gabriel noted Jack's discomfort.

"Hey...if you don't want to you don't have to, Ana can-" Jack glanced at Gabriel, about to take the out. He wanted to take the out so badly. He couldn't take that burning smell filling his nose and mouth again or the gunfire and screams in his ears. Ana caught wind of this however.

"No." she spoke up. "Harley is Jack's horse, the Arena is going to be empty for the next two hours, this is the perfect time to get your saddle seat back." She beamed at Jack, "You can do this."

He blinked then nodded. "I'm here Jack, if anything happens I'm here to help." Jack had frowned at Ana, resenting her in that brief moment of weakness before Gabriel reached him again. He took a deep breath and glanced away from them both before lifting one foot into the stirrup and settling on Harley's back. Ana leaned back on the rail while Gabriel sat atop it. He may have been weightless, but he still urged him into the arena with a gentle press of his legs. In the sunlight, Jack was nearly invisible on top of the horse. He urged Harley forward into a walk, feeling out his form and making small corrections where he could. When Harley started to drift in his attention, he whistled sharply to bring him back. The horse was better about minding when there wasn't much to look at though. Once he was calm they trotted off. Harley stretched his legs and kept his ears tilted back to listen to Jack as he went. He was listening, focused and willing to work today. Jack was nervous, but Harley was free beneath him and that made him relax. There wasn't anything out to spook him, and Harley needed him to be sturdy and strong for him. So he rode like they were going into battle, guiding Harley in a few figure eights. "Good boy, we're going to canter now, but you have to listen to me," he stated. He whistled long and low, squeezing Harley's sides. As he raced by in a canter, however, he caught the look in Gabriel's eyes. His heart stopped and time itself seemed to stop with it.

Gabriel didn't see a horse with no rider. He could see Jack plain as day, hell even brighter than usual. He could see Jack in color like this. Bright blue eyes were focused like the dream Gabriel first saw them in, cornsilk hair shone in the light and Gabriel swore he could even see the sun freckles dotting Jack's cheekbones. His dreamy smile melted into a softly open state of awe. Each time Jack passed, his eyes met Gabriel's, and time seemed to slow again. He decided he must have some kind of ghost sickness, because he was addicted to the rush just looking at Gabriel brought.

Ana quickly caught on to the look on Gabe's face. "Trying to catch flies Gabriel?" She pushed on his chin to close his mouth. "I'm going to go feed Fareeha, if you need anything Reinhardt is here."

Gabriel just nodded at her and watched Jack ride some more. Harley bent around his corners as Jack urged and he stretched and he focused. Gabriel was amazed at how beautiful the whole thing was, both the horse and the partnership he had with his rider. He couldn't imagine riding like this. He whistled low and shook his head, "Damn Jack, you sure you can get me to ride like that?" He tilted his head. "You're a natural~ I guess you should be though." He laughed. Harley slowed when told and snorted as they took a break to walk around.

"Of course you can," he said with a nod and a soft smile. "It just takes practice. No one is a natural." His eyes met Gabriel's again and time seemed to slow once more. "Although, you had some pretty natural talent too, you know."

" I know how to sit with good posture that's about it," Gabriel smirked, " Harley seemed to be in good humor today...how did that feel?" He grinned, " Not even a spook, he could see everything too. Maybe you two should ride out here more often..." He beamed and watched Harley sniff at Jack's knee again and try to nibble on the ghostly boot, but he just grabbed air with his teeth.

"That's still important," Jack insisted with a huff and a smirk. He was just watching Gabriel, most of what the other man was saying flying over his head, but he did catch one part. "It was good. Better than yesterday..." he murmured with a nod. He was only startled out of his staring by Harley's nose going through his foot. "Heh, whoa. Easy boy. Guess we should get you cleaned up, huh?"

Gabe put Harley away so the kids coming in wouldn't suspect anything, they went about their way getting their horses out to ride and take lessons with Reinhardt and Ana. Jack liked watching the little kids coming out to ride, happy to see so many young people interested in horses. A wave and the two were off. " I think this is good for you..." He nodded, " Harley likes it too. I'm sure he missed you."

"It is... I missed him every day. It feels good to ride together again." He paused and looked back at Gabriel, "you were good too though. How did it feel to ride again?"

" Absolutely terrifying, but I think I overcame that today," He stated proudly. " I wouldn't mind taking more lessons with you...especially to watch you two work together again too." He smirked, " You're doing a great job with your horse Jack, you should be proud."

 

Jack and Gabe fell into a nice routine in the next month. Gabriel would spend his days running the shop and do deliveries on his way to get Jack, and Jack would work the barn and Harley. With thirty days on him in serious training, Harley was shaping up to be an amazing horse. Ana assured that if he stayed he may be able to show him. Gabriel got better and better every time he rode, and now he could canter the ring twice both ways without getting tired. Jack found himself enjoying these moments more and more. He loved going to the barn, and Harley was falling back into his old patterns. It was like nothing had changed, except he was lighter than air and Harley had to listen to his sound cues more and more. Then there was Gabriel, and time had yet to move around him whenever he saw him in the fading light of day or the first flush of sunlight in the morning.

Tonight Gabriel showed up with a bag in the back seat though.

" So I got called out for a cleansing job...do you want to come or do you want me to take you home?" He paused, " I don't want to put you in an uncomfortable situation or anything."

Jack realized what he was being asked. "This is... what I would be doing with you if I stay?" he asked hesitantly.

" You'd be doing more than just coming with me, but yes," Gabriel nodded. " Tonight I won't ask you to do anything but watch."

Jack gave a thoughtful yet hesitant look at the bag before nodding. "Yeah... okay, show me."

Gabriel sighed with relief as the spirit agreed. " There's a little farm house not far from here, the older couple there says they've been haunted for a long time, but it's just now gotten scary. We're going to figure out why...and maybe stop the hauntings all together."

They drove ten minutes out of the way to a house not so different from Jack's childhood home. It was rife with energy here, memories from the past occupants floated and whispered between the walls and their presence could be felt here. Gabriel brought out his bag and made sure to tuck Jack's phenacite in a pouch lined with quartz dust to keep him protected from any ritual Gabriel may have had to perform. The couple was nice enough, they seemed a little shaken, but who wouldn't be in a place like this with demonic activity?

The elderly man explained that they knew about a little boy who haunted the house, but just recently things started to get violent and they didn't think it was the boy.

" I see..." Gabriel gave a nod, " I'll do what I can." He smiled softly, drawing a circle in chalk on his hand. It was similar to the sigil he used for the séance back in the shop, but with minor differences. He chanted softly under his breath. "Spirits of my ancestors I call upon you again, protect me and those good souls around me from all that is evil, show them the light and lead them towards it, draw thine swords and ready thine light of good for the battle to come." He kissed the back of his marked palm and Jack could see a portal open around him. It hovered at his back and energy poured from it.

Now Gabriel could see the energy trails, and he followed a familiar energy, his grandmother's, leading him to the back bedroom. A small gasp came from beneath the bed and Gabriel knelt to offer his hand. " Hello...are you the little one causing so much trouble?"

 _No...there's a bad man who followed me...he doesn't like you here._ The boy whimpered, _He said he'd hurt me if I helped you..._

"..." He tilted his head, " do you see my friend?" The little boy slowly lifted the bedskirt to look at Jack, which made the elderly couple gasp since they couldn't see the ghost. " I keep him safe from all kinds of bad things. I can keep you safe too...just follow him or the nice lady who found you." As if on cue, the spirit of an elderly woman (older appearing than the couple they were helping) appeared from a soft mist that had been hovering around Gabriel and offered her hand. Just as the little boy took her hand, all of the lights went out and the doors slammed.

**LEAVE HIM!**

The voice shook the house and Gabriel stood quickly, straightening as another spirit he'd called dashed into the next room, leading him to the dark energy. Jack was tense, feeling out of place and actually fearful for Gabriel. The voice seemed demonic, and he knew what he'd been taught about demons.

"Gabe," he murmured, a touch of fear in his voice. He didn't know what to do- everything in him told him to run or drop to his knees right there and pray.

"Easy Jack...I may need you after all..." Gabriel grimaced, following the dark, heavy energy down into the cellar. The air started to smell of rotting meat and grew hotter. "Just help Abuela with the boy. Stay up there." Gabriel wasn't afraid, and he soon fetched the black bag and two sage sticks, both were bound in red thread, but one had an obsidian hanging from it and the other a fire opal. He lit them and smudged the air around the door. "May this act as a barrier, keep evil from leaving and allow cleansing energies to follow." He made his way down the stairs with the sticks then, a deep crimson smoke engulfing them and changing them into a pair of weapons. In Gabriel's hands now were two pitch black shotguns, accented silver with spirals of sigils and runes, one with the fire opal in the hammer and the other with the obsidian. Jack grimaced with Gabriel, full of his own nervous and fearful energy. This was what Gabriel did? He knew he couldn't do a damn thing to help with this... He felt even more powerless as Gabriel told him to stay upstairs, a place he couldn't be seen and with two unfamiliar spirits.

" No, I'm coming too..." Jack muttered stubbornly as he drifted after him. A few feet behind, but watching and waiting. He didn't know what it was stirred inside him, but this demon would _not_ get Gabriel if he could help it. The witch smirked back at him before returning to business...he had to free the boy from this thing. At least it didn't feel powerful enough to weaken first with a rite, so Jack wouldn't be in danger this time. 

"Why are you here? Why the kid?" 

**The boy comes with me...**

" That doesn't answer my questions," He scoffed at the entity, sighing as it flared its energy and raised the temperature of the room again. "The boy isn't yours to take." Gabriel huffed, "Whatever your reason it isn't good enough to allow you to stay." 

 **He is mine. I'm protecting him.** a shadow slowly stepped out from the darkness, red eyes glowing and appearing to stare straight through Gabriel. 

" No you aren't," Gabriel growled, " You're hurting him." He sighed, hoping to have intimidated the darkness, but this one was stubborn. Weak demons that had a taste of power were always stubborn. "I'm giving you a choice, return to where you came from or I will banish you myself...which will be infinitely more painful."

 **THE BOY IS MINE!** The shadow lunged and Gabriel spun to draw the first gun and fire. An inhuman shriek tore through the air, and the shadow staggered backwards.

" I am a follower of the crone, the ancient mother overseeing the end of life, evil will not take her children without judgement so long as I am involved. You've chosen to be banished." He furrowed his brow then huffed, aiming at the shadow figure's head. He pulled the trigger and poured his magic into the guns, a pull could be felt now, not nearly as strong for Jack as it was for the dark spirit. " Return to the pits of hell demon, leave this place and close the portal behind you."

 **NOT WITHOUT THE BOY!** another lunge another shot. Gabriel hardly moved, instead he kept firing, reducing the darkness to nothing but a mist. He let the guns fade into the sage sticks and waved them around in a wide circle to dispel the mist. Jack found his voice lost in his throat at the whole ordeal. He lunged for Gabriel, but froze in his tracks as the guns were raised and fired. Diving in the way of the demon seemed utterly foolish in retrospect, and as Gabriel moved, Jack found his chest aching with fear. Every flinch the demon made toward him, every inch he moved and shifted, Jack mimicked with a grimace and shifting his weight.

As soon as it began, it was over. And Jack was left feeling shaken on the stairs with a feeling deep in the pit of his stomach. He drifted after Gabriel silently, his mind spinning with thoughts and his whole body aching with that feeling. Gabriel just fought a demon like it was nothing, and all he could do was stand and watch. That's what Gabriel told him to do, but he still found the fear and the ache growing. It was more than that...more than fear and yet it wasn't negative like fear. He wanted to help, he wanted to protect Gabe...because if anything happened to him-

 

" Now....back to the kid." Gabriel chuckled, appearing worn out. Without a guide to tap into more of his magic things like this tired him out quickly.

The boy was hiding at the top of the stairs, but he slowly brightened as Gabriel and Jack returned. _Is he gone?_

" He's gone little man...do you know where your mommy is? Or daddy?- Gracias Abuela." He smiled and kissed the back of his hand again, beaming as the old soul pat the boy's head and faded.

_Daddy went away and didn't come back...I sometimes hear mommy, but the bad man wouldn't let me go find her..._

" Must be the wailing in the yard..." Gabriel nodded, "Well, the bad man is gone now, do you want to go home with mommy?"

_Silly mister this is home! I would like to go get mommy though..._

" Heh, then let's let mommy know you're safe..." He glanced back at Jack and waved him to follow. After speaking with the elderly couple again (who somehow didn't hear any of the one sided fight going on down stairs) they confirmed that they had heard a woman crying near the tree by the old barn. Gabriel explained their situation then, about the demon and the boy and the boy's mother.

While Gabriel spoke to the home owners, the little boy was watching Jack.

 _You're like me..._ He beamed, and the boy was right. He was wearing period clothing from Jack's time, little overalls with the legs rolled up and bare feet. _Did you work on a farm?_

Jack was still standing in stunned silence, trying to work through what he was feeling deep in his chest. It went against everything he thought he knew about what he wanted to do. But he wasn't empty anymore...in fact he hadn't been for the past two weeks. Just as that realization hit him, the little voice snapped him to attention. He looked down at the little boy and smiled slowly, kneeling down beside him. "So I am... yes I did. You're a very observant young man," he stated with a smile, "My farm had lots of cows and horses. What did your farm have?" he asked warmly, holding out his hand. "Did I hear right? That you haven't had your mother all this time?"

The boy nodded, _The bad man kept me inside, I couldn't go get her...he got really mad when I asked the nice old folks for help._ He tapped his fingers together before cautiously taking Jack's hand, _Did I do something wrong? Is that why the bad man was here?_

Jack smiled a bit, standing slowly and giving the tiny hand in his a squeeze. "No, sir, it's not your fault. Sometimes bad things happen. Sometimes they find us," he stated, though he really had no idea what was going on, "I know this is the only home you've ever known, and it can be scary to leave, but you'll be much safer with your momma," he explained with a nod, "Let's go find her, okay?"

Gabriel thanked the owners for permission to dispel the house, turning back to the spirits conversing. He smiled softly then beamed, " Is he ready to find his momma, Jack?"

He looked up at Gabriel, pausing for a moment as their eyes met before he nodded. "Yes, I think so. By the old tree?" Jack made sure he held the boy's hand the whole way out.

The barn was in relatively good shape despite the peeling red and white paint, the sound of cattle lowing could be heard within it, but soft sobs accompanied the cows. Crumpled by the tree was the spirit of a young woman, she clung to it and whimpered a name.

_Michael...Michael, my baby where are you?_

Her clothing was in the same style as the boy's, her hair which would have been in a neat bun back then was messy and falling out in places, as if she had been running. Gabriel paused, not wanting to scare her, he had to think of a way to approach the woman. Sometimes he was an actor and let the ghosts see what they wanted to see, but she didn't even want to look up.

A quick survey of the land and Gabriel grimaced, just beyond the fence was a deep ravine, and he could only guess that the two had met their end by falling in and hitting the rocks below...

_Mommy? the boy paused, Michael's my name!_

Jack could tell what happened the moment he set foot near the barn. He grimaced a bit, but he quickly hid it, not wanting the young boy to see him as anything other than happy in this moment. When they found the woman, he could see the recognition spread slowly across his face. Jack knelt down by him again. "It sounds like she misses you something awful," he started. His eyes found Gabriel's again, waiting for him to come up with some plan. When he was met with silence, however, he had a plan of his own bubble to the surface. "Michael, you know what? I'm not just a farmer," he said, letting his uniform return to his body as he spoke. "I was a soldier too. So let's go to your mama and I'll let her know you're okay." He gently led Michael straight toward the crying woman.

_R-really?_ The boy gasped and beamed as Jack changed, and he nodded, taking his hand and following him. 

"Miss? Excuse me, but I believe I have your child here," he announced as he approached, hoping she was just another spirit like Michael and not a demon.

 _Margaret._ The woman hiccupped softly, unafraid of who saw her crying now, but when she looked up and saw the soldier with her boy she cried out with joy, _Oh Mickey there you are!_ She scooped her son up into her arms and held him tightly, _Oh my baby where have you been?! Why didn't you come to mommy?_ Michael babbled on about how Jack and Gabriel had been so brave and saved him from a bad guy, and that Jack was a soldier and one of the good guys and-

 _Catch your breath hun don't faint now._ She teased him, kissing his head, _Thank you so much for findin my boy and keepin him safe...it's been so long I...I thought I'd never find him...what's your name-_ She caught a look at his ranking on his uniform, _Captain?_

Jack smiled- how could he not when they looked so happy to be back together again? He didn't hesitate to let Michael go and let her sweep him up in her arms. He chuckled softly at her words and shook his head. "Really, I didn't do much. You should be thanking Gabriel Reyes," he said with a nod and a gesture to the necromancer before she asked for his name. "Captain Jack Morrison, Ma'am. And it was a pleasure," he said with a nod, "Just... do me a favor, and get yourselves safely to the other side. We almost lost your son today, and I'd hate to hear you both didn't make it."

Margaret nodded and sighed, hugging her son tightly as Gabriel chanted a door open for them. The light was strong, and even beckoning to Jack as mother and son crossed over. The figure of another man in uniform could be seen waiting for them, and as he embraced them he seemed to nod his own thanks to Jack. The portal was quickly closed and Gabriel took a deep breath.

"That wasn't so bad...glad one of us had a quick plan." He chuckled, " You okay?" He made sure Jack's phenacite was still holding his spirit tightly before sighing and catching himself in a yawn. " Let's go make sure the house is completely cleansed and we can collect what we need."

Jack watched the two of them go, nodding in response to the man on the other side. It was tempting to just walk right through, but he couldn't. Not yet. He turned back to Gabriel, nodding at his words. "Perfectly fine," he said, letting his casual clothing return as he drifted after Gabriel again.

 

Gabriel didn't do this kind of stuff for money unless it was specifically offered by the client, or insisted upon. The older couple had opted to offer ingredients for his garden and the shop. He did one last sweep with the obsidian sage stick and reassured the couple that their house was clean of all energies now. They could enjoy retirement in peace now. He collected the few herbs they promised him and carefully tucked the clippings into a box so he could plant them when he got home, and then they were on their way. "It's going to be an hour and a half to get home, you can sleep if you want." Gabriel offered.

"All of that for some plants?" Jack muttered in confusion, "You could have been killed down there..." He slipped into the car quietly, sighing as he turned his head to look out the window. "Yeah... maybe," he murmured at the offer with a sigh. Jack didn't fall asleep though. He was awake, sometimes with hooded eyes and sometimes with wide open ones, but his breathing had slowed like he was sleeping. His mind was racing with thoughts as they drove, with questions for Gabriel... and a determination he didn't know he'd felt before.

" It wasn't as dangerous as it looked, and they only paid what they could, this is a witch hazel bush and ground hemlock, it's not so easy to find anymore." He chuckled, " You look like you're stewing on something over there."

"Just thinking," Jack muttered with a soft huff. He fell silent for a minute before glancing back at Gabriel. "Wait- how was that not dangerous? You were being attacked by a demon! What if he'd gotten ahold of you?" Jack asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

" Then I shove the obsidian in his head," Gabriel sighed, " it wasn't a big bad anyway, more like an imp that got a taste of some power. Had he been left there though it could have grown worse..." He watched Jack out of the corner of his eye, continuing to drive as the night darkened. He would need to hold a quartz while he showered tonight, just to make sure he was completely cleared. " He didn't get you, and he didn't get the kid, that's what matters."

Jack took a deep breath to calm his nerves, releasing it slowly as he closed his eyes. That feeling was sitting squarely in the pit of his stomach. He looked back out the window, unable to reply or think of how to respond just yet. "You could have been hurt," he muttered after a minute, unsure what other argument he could possibly give. "It all worked out now, but it could have been bad..." He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. He fell quiet then before sighing once more.

Gabriel sighed, " You can always get hurt, no matter what you do..." He smiled softly, " I know how to deal with that kind of thing though, the average person doesn't, that's why I do this. I don't want anyone getting hurt the way others have in the past...No one needs to go through persecution again because someone has the wrong idea...I'm sure you heard about Salem and all the witch burning." 

"You really think I can help with this stuff?"

He chuckled and nodded, " Yea...I'll have to teach you a few things but I think you can...at the very least you'll help my magic become stronger so I don't have to use so much of it just to deal with one demon....but if you still want to join your family don't let me stop you, Jack. You don't have to stay if you don't want to. I mean...I can learn to ride from Ana and take care of Harley that way or I can get by like I always do and take the next day off. Don't sacrifice your happiness just because you think someone needs your help...you deserve rest too." That took courage to say...and he really hadn't wanted to say it, but seeing Jack work through his issues and seeing him brighten more and more made Gabriel aware that Jack may be leaving soon. He had to get used to the idea of living without him again. He'd done it once he could do it again but...his heart ached at that.

Jack didn't respond to Gabriel's speech at first, just settling back and staring out the window. He could remember the feeling from the first time Gabriel saw him ride, even the way he'd looked at him when he bought Harley what felt like an eon ago. As Gabriel continued, however, Jack found himself aching again. "I know..." he murmured, "I know your life would go on, you'd give Harley the best life you could, and you would continue to do all this other stuff too..." he murmured. That was obvious, because he'd been doing it all before Jack even showed up... "You're not making me do anything. I could have walked through with that family. I didn't," he murmured with a shrug, not meeting Gabriel's gaze just yet. "It's not time."

" ....Are you saying that because you're afraid?" Gabriel wondered aloud, " Or do you really feel like you aren't ready?" He paused, " Or...or are you saying that because you want to stay?" He tried not to let hope change his tone, but that was nigh impossible.

Jack huffed and ran one hand through his hair. He didn't know how to reply to the hope in Gabriel's voice yet- it made his stomach turn and ache. "I don't know yet," he muttered, frowning out the window. He lied. He knew it was a combination of all three, and he thought he knew what the ache he was feeling was. He might not have had a heart anymore, but he didn't need one to know it would have been racing lately. "We can talk about it more at home..."


	6. So This is Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is shorter, but I thought it deserved its own chapter vwv enjoy the fluff!

The rest of the drive home was quiet. 

Once back though, he unlocked the door, slipped in and would wait for Jack to bring this up. He went about the routine, heating up leftover fajitas from the other night and preparing for a shower. Though he was being speedy about it this time. Shower. Dinner. Talk.

Well so he hoped anyway.

Jack had been quiet on the rest of the ride home too, but once they were inside, he got antsy. He wanted to figure out these feelings now, but Gabriel had to shower, and eat, and GOD everything felt like it was taking ages. Jack was floating through the apartment quietly, but impatient, just waiting for an opportunity to talk. He didn't know how to start things, though. It felt awkward to be the one to bring any of this up. When Gabriel's routine finally had a break in it, Jack was waiting, his brow furrowed.

"So..." he started but he couldn't finish. He was a ghost- would this even work? Could it work? He huffed and drifted forward to come closer to Gabriel. "I don't feel empty anymore," he announced after a minute, "But there's something else I want..." He hesitated, and gave Gabriel a moment to process what was happening before he drifted toward him. He was so close...just a little more. 

" Well the emptiness being gone is good," Gabriel chuckled uneasily, wondering what would come next. He wanted to be sent back? He wanted Gabriel to open a portal for him? He sighed and glanced up as Jack came closer. " J-Jack?" His heart raced and he couldn't help but hold his breath and then-

Cold.

Jack was cold in the nicest way. A brisk wind on a winter day, pricking his lips with pins and needles yet being forceful enough to make Gabriel hum softly. He smiled into the kiss, trying to kiss back without imagining how weird this would look to someone on the outside- shit don't laugh don't do it Gabe. For Jack in the meantime, Gabriel was warm. Most living things were warm for him, but not quite like this. It was like wearing a sweater on a cold day or curling up in a blanket. Jack was never as aware of how cold his form was until his lips met Gabriel's and he was being kissed in return. For a moment it was almost like he had a phantom heartbeat, something startling him back to life. He reluctantly drew away before smirking a bit at seeing Gabriel's breath. When he finally opened his eyes and he sighed softly, he caught the sight as well with a dreamy smile.

" Just one?" He was teasing, but he was hoping that this meant what he thought it did.

 "Can you blame me for trying to see how the first one would go?" he asked with a soft, nervous chuckle.

"Jack I...I don't want you to leave." That felt amazing to get off his chest. " I don't want to let you go..."

"I... don't want to go," he admitted softly, "Not after today... I want to protect you, if I can, and I felt helpless just watching you fight." He sighed softly and shook his head. "I wanted to get a taste of living a real life, but I don't want to let it go yet."

" Then don't," Gabriel found himself replying so quickly. " I'll call Stella and get what I need to make you a body, I'll plant an anchor and I'll get the freezer up here-" He gulped. "Whatever it takes Jack, I don't care, I want you here." He sighed, " I _need_ you here..." He reached up to gently touch the cool air that would be Jack's cheek, Gabriel saw him so clearly, so solid in appearance, but he could always move right through him. He was careful to keep that touch on the outside of his cheek. Jack took a deep breath and chuckled lowly. He gently placed his hand over Gabriel's, though it was more like hovering over it.

"I guess I never should have been worried that you would say no..." he teased with a soft smirk, "Thank you, Gabe... I just needed time to figure this out for myself." He sighed slowly and drifted closer, though he had to be careful not to just drift through Gabriel. 

" I should be thanking you though, Jack, for making me realize how fucking lonely I was." He laughed and let Jack rest over him.  " Just give me a day...I'll have everything I need after I talk to Doc Ziegler..."

"We both were," Jack corrected with a tired little chuckle, "Incredibly so. It's not been easy for me these past few years either...So I'll have a body again..." he murmured before pausing, "You mentioned before I'd... need to be tied to you somehow?"

" Yea...it's a binding ritual," He let Jack roll over to stay beside him now instead, though it really was just for courtesy's sake more than anything. He reached into his bedside drawer again, this time digging out an old pouch. " This was my first set of runes...and they're the ones most strongly tied to me..." He gently shook the bag and without looking pulled a Rune. It was shaped like a P with the bow pointed instead of circular.

" Wunjo..." He smirked, "and I drew it right side up..." He grinned, " So this is your Rune now, and since the stone is bound to my energies all I have to do is take your Phenacite...." He picked up the little stone and then a sharpie. " Damn you little stone for being too hard to carve into..." He scoffed, drawing the rune on the stone. He then placed them on top of each other then put them on the nightstand. He snatched his chalk again. On one palm he drew a sigil that almost looked like a lotus with half a heart beneath it. On the other he drew a circle, inside the circle was a slightly tilted Diamond with an A shape beneath it. The line crossing the A stretched slightly to two dots. One was open faced and the other a closed solid dot. " Usually I would just use the same sigil, but one is for binding and the other is...corny as hell, but fuck it." He held out his hands. "Place yours on top of mine."

"Why is it cheesy?" Jack asked curiously as he hovered his hand over Gabriel's.

"It's a mutual love sigil." Gabriel nodded, "A reason for the binding and intent for the spell." Jack felt that ache in his chest grow with a soft heat at his cheeks. He smiled softly and hovered his hands over Gabe's own. "Ancient powers stir and rise, feel your servant and feel the pure spirit that wishes to stay in this world. Tether the souls and link the mind and heart so that each may find peace in companionship and compromise. With my intent clear make passion, honesty, and courage be the root of this binding." Gabriel's red magic swirled about his hands, but a blue energy seemed to seep from Jack and mingle with it, turning the smoke a midnight purple. Jack didn't exactly know what was going on or what his role was in this spell, and for a moment he panicked, not knowing what to make of the blue, but Gabriel was calm. He just had to trust that was normal, like Gabriel trusting him on the horse.

"Now close your hands...and take a deep breath," Gabriel did the same and smirked, "Do you feel that?" Gabriel had a slight heaviness over his chest area, where Jack's soul had been linked to his. "That's the tether."

Jack took a breath with Gabe before he felt a sharp thump settle over the ache in his chest. It evened out slowly, and he cautiously placed his hand over it. "I have a heartbeat..." he murmured, stunned into silence before he lit up. "I have a heartbeat!"

Gabriel grinned, " That's my heartbeat. So long as you feel that you're bound to me, which means until I suddenly keel over." He teased, now able to feel Jack. He took his hands and smiled softly, " Tomorrow I'll work on getting you your own heart beat, but this way you can find me if you need me or if I need you...do you feel more stable in the world now?" Jack smiled softly, closing his eyes and just savoring the feeling of a beating heart in his chest before Gabriel touched him. Not just hovered near them but actually held his hands. Jack's shock must have been clear on his face.

"Y-yeah, I suppose. I feel more alive... does that count?" he asked with a sheepish smile.

He reached up and touched Jack's cheek again, actually feeling him under his hand now, " There you are." He grinned, " I'm going to make a charm to wear when you get your body, that will be the anchor. I'll wear it when we go out so none of the rites I use will take you by accident. If you want I'll teach you some corn magic." He laughed.

"I have no idea what you are talking about other than corn," he said with a nervous laugh, "uh, I suppose... if you're willing to learn to ride I can try this magic stuff..."

" Heh, so I don't accidentally send you over," He sighed and touched his nose to Jack's, closing his eyes and beaming, "Anything to keep you here Jack...don't worry about it, it was a joke." He wanted to keep kissing him, but he would let Jack come to him. He didn't want to scare him anyway.

"No I'm serious... I'll learn," he murmured before chuckling nervously, "Or try to..." He watched Gabriel a moment before leaning in to kiss him again. He could feel Gabriel's heart bump in his chest in response, "I like being able to feel you enjoy this," he teased with a smirk.

"That's creepy," Gabriel teased back, returning his kisses, "You'll feel this all the time then if you keep it up."

"You're the one who did it. Blame yourself," he laughed, now catching his lips again. Gabriel was still warm, and Jack still had the pins and needles feeling, but he was solid. It was easier to kiss him this way, and Gabriel's arms wound around him. A soft gasp left the spirit before he grinned and ran his fingers through Gabriel's wavy hair, well the top of it anyway, he had an undercut that left it hard to play in. He felt like he was a teenager again, sneaking out to the barn to roll around in the hay with his crush. Their parents couldn't find out back then, so it was adrenaline fueled makeouts more than anything else...Gabriel's heart racing in his chest reminded him of that.

" We should probably get some sleep now..." Gabriel suggested between more kissing. His voice was soft and smooth just like the night he sang. Jack felt shivers run through him as Gabriel glanced at the clock with a huff, "It's almost eleven thirty." He groaned. " Maybe I'll just make a dream sigil and we can do this in a dream..." He was far too tired to actually get up and do it though.

"There will be time later. Just get some rest," he murmured with a soft smile. He sighed slowly and floated down next to him. "I'm right here."

" ...Is it too fast to say I love you?" Gabriel scoffed, " I feel like this tension has been going on long enough." He yawned and lay back against the bed, rolling over to turn off the light and sigh softly. " I love you anyway Jack...thank you for staying with me."

Jack sighed slowly and chuckled softly. "Not at all... because I can feel you're in earnest," he murmured, watching Gabriel falling asleep. "I love you too... thank you for saving me. For everything..."


	7. Grey Magic

The next morning, Jack was still awake, but he was settled on the opposite side of the bed. He was wondering what came next. He was here, he felt solid if still 'ghostly'.

Gabriel woke to his alarm and went through the routine as usual, though today as he and Jack made breakfast he was on the phone.

" Hey Stella it's Gabriel!...Yea how are you? Hey listen I need a favor," He laughed and shook his head, " No no trust me I'm not asking for an undead army I promise. No I just need a skull...Mid twenties, male, preferably with normal teeth please no vampires." He nodded and whisked the eggs for omelets. " If you must know my boyfriend needs a body." The woman had her turn to laugh. " Yes ha ha it would work that way for me wouldn't it? So what time? Sounds good...How's little Angie? Growin like a weed I'm sure."

Jack was kneading the biscuit dough, waiting for Gabriel to finish the phone call. He grimaced a bit. "I'm going to be using another dead man's skull?..." That didn't sit really well with him, but he didn't know what he expected. His skull was probably in Indiana buried in the ground, and he didn't think his family would take kindly to it being dug up. Gabe just shook his head at Jack's question.

" Well she is a little weed! Any problem with her feathers coming in? I don't need to make you a salve or anything?...Perfect, she's a healthy little bean. No surprise with you and Bosch though." He grinned, "Alright, thanks again Stella I'll see you after Lecture...okay, bye~" He hung up then sighed, " They're a type of harpy, and their little girl Angela just started getting her feathers on her little wings." He beamed, "She's so cute, you'll like the Zieglers..." Now he poured the omelet mix into the skillet and started drizzling cheese and peppers into it. " They're both doctors, Bosch works at the hospital and Stella is a professor at the local college, so she has all kinds of specimens that I can make molds of for my magic. I've already got most of the skeletal components I need, I just like to customize a skull you know? You don't want to look like someone else you want to look like you."

"Oh, so it's just a mold. That's a relief..." he murmured with a sigh before it seemed to click what Gabriel said. "But... the rest of my body will be other bones?" He was still hesitant, but he tried to relax. Gabriel knew what he was doing... he had to. "I'd rather look like myself. It would be too much of a shock not to..."

Gabriel nodded, "Taking the old and creating new. The circle of life continues." He teased. "It'll be alright. They don't hold the soul like a skull does. I have bone dust and pig's blood and a few organs to help the spell out..." He smirked. "It's a darker spell so this is going to be a bit gruesome. It's more grey magic than black at least."

"You're not making me feel better about this..." Jack muttered, his brow furrowed. He felt a little sick just thinking about a body of old organs, pig blood and bone dust. He made another face and shook his head before sighing slowly. "I trust you know what you're doing... or your mother does? She's a witch too, isn't she? She must be if you took the shop from her..."

"I know what I'm doing." He chuckled, "It'll turn out, you'll see." Gabriel finished breakfast then readied for the trip. "They live down town, so you get to see the city." He packed a backpack and made a list of everything he may need then they left.

 

Everything about LA was huge. Jack watched the buildings just keep growing and growing until they looked like they touched the very sky! It made him feel so small, and they were soon going the opposite direction of the super tall buildings and the ocean behind them to a residential looking district. The wealthy Zieglers had an apartment at the top of the largest complex with a view of the skyline. "This is the place, they're Swiss German so prepare for an accent." He knocked on the door then waited.

He didn't expect to see a city this big, modern, and bustling. He had a million questions and his heart was racing in a panic but he held it together until they were at the penthouse suite. "We're up so high..." he murmured nervously, hovering close to Gabriel.

Stella was playing with their daughter, her beautiful white wings folded neatly against her back. The Zieglers were an old species of Harpy, those that were far more human than their greek cousins. They had large angelic wings and feathery looking hair; their arms and legs were normal, humanlike appendages, and only when they willed it did their features change. It was thought in the witching community that these creatures had inspired the western appearance of Angels. With a natural affinity for white magic and divination, it was easy to see why. "Look Angie, another pretty feather~" She beamed, playing in her daughter's golden feathers while Bosch headed for the door. Bosch had chocolate brown feathers, but they were speckled with gold as bright as Angela's. 

Angela squealed and giggled in delight, bouncing her mother's lap and spreading her bare little wings with a few shiny feathers. "Mama, will I fly soon too?! You have to show me!"

" After all of your down comes off." She nodded.

" We'll both show you at Auntie Ana's~" Bosch beamed, opening the door then. "Gabriel! Come in, would you like a drink? I imagine this will take some time," he said in a thick accent, his eyes settling on Jack like he wasn't quite sure he was there. "You must be the one he's building for?"

"Ah, y-yes! Yes, I am," Jack murmured, sticking to Gabriel like glue. Angela's whole face lit up however.

"Uncle Gabriel!"

" Hey little owlet!" He grinned, kneeling so she could run and hug him. " Look how big you are! Such pretty feathers too~" 

"Thanks! I'm gonna color a picture that's special for you! You can't leave without it!" She bounced off then for her room.

Bosch chuckled softly, "She missed you, clearly," he teased, "I don't even get that kind of greeting when I come home." He nodded at Jack. "It's a pleasure," he chimed before taking up the rear of the group. "I think we found you a few good options."

Stella was in the lead, "I have what you need in the next room, are you going to make it here or are you planning on building at home?" 

" At home, but we can make the molding here." He smiled, " Jack this is Basch and Stella Ziegler, and that was their daughter Angela."  As they made their way through the apartment Jack got a chance to look around. It was huge! The livingroom itself was the size of Gabriel's whole house. It had a loft area that lead into two rooms along a balcony like hall, the larger must have been the master, and the smaller was the room Angela had darted off to. The kitchen was beneath the loft, and spotless with fancy looking versions of Gabriel's appliances. Everything was in muted tones and clean looking. They moved to another room adjacent to the kitchen and it instantly reminded Jack of the hospitals he'd seen in some of Gabe's movies.

Stella kept her preparation lab spotless. Wall to wall was white and the floor was a pristine polished tile. She had her own magical items about but everything seemed very sterile and scientific compared to Gabriel's space. Cabinets lined the walls and a few tall lockers had number pads and dials on them, she moved to a climate controlled cabinet and opened it with such a code. There she produced four skulls. " These were the skulls I could find in your specifications and in the best condition for a mold." She beamed. " Let's see...May I?" She asked Jack, offering to examine his face. Bosch was a quiet man, and instead of saying much he stood proudly to the side.   
  
" It wasn't hard to find those specific qualities surprisingly." 

" Let's see...May I?" Stella asked Jack, offering to examine his face.

Gabriel tilted his head, " Or I can if you're nervous." Jack was tense, though he hoped it was impossible to tell with his ghostly form. This was at least a bit better than severed heads though or any of the gore he'd seen on the battlefield. He wanted to refuse her when she stepped forward, but if Gabriel trusted her, he could too, right?...

"No, it's fine... like going to the doctor, right?" he murmured, floating forward to let her examine him.

Stella nodded, " Just like it..." She gently touched his cheek bones first, her hands gently moving back to the back of his head, she moved slowly up to his brow with her hands still in that position, " Maximum Cranial length-" She gave her estimate to Basch who would then eliminate a skull that wouldn't match. She then reset her hands from the base of his jaw up to the top of his head, " Basion-bregma height-" then her hands went from brow to jaw, " Basion-nasion length-" from there she measured from his upper lip to the hinge of his jaw, "Basion-prosthion length-" She turned back to her husband and beamed at the two skulls left. " Perfect..." She waved the men to follow her. "Now we pick one based on features since the measurements are correct."

Gabriel nodded and looked at the skulls, then back at Jack, " So...softer features...nothing too boxy-"

" Well that leaves us one," Stella smiled, holding up the skull and glancing at her husband for his approval. " I have the casing ready for you as usual."

" Thank you, and the organs?"

" No treatment to them, but they were turned down for transplant, I was supposed to preserve them for dissection, but I have no doubt you can remove the impurities with your magic...unless you want Basch and I to do that too-"

" No no I can take care of it thanks. I've got pig's blood back home to change too-"

" Nonsense, I can get you some, do you remember your blood type Jack?" Bosch spoke up. This was definitely not like any doctor's visit Jack had ever had. It felt weird being felt around like this and analyzed down to sets of numbers. Getting the right skull didn't exactly feel like a victory for him either. He still felt strange staring into those empty eye sockets. 

He looked at everyone in confusion, his expression only growing more confused when they asked for blood type. "Uh... human? I don't know..."

That made Bosch chuckle with a smirk, "Not to worry my boy, we can get you something regardless. And don't worry about the details. Leave that to us."

" We'll get the molding ready and when its done we'll let you know, are you sure you don't want anything to drink? We were going to make Angela a snack anyway." Stella offered.

Bosch chuckled softly again before waving Gabriel off as he tried to offer help. "It will only be a minute or two. You'll have everything you need after this, yes? So relax for now."

" I'm alright," Gabriel beamed, " Thanks for doing this for me."

" It's no trouble Gabriel, not for all you do for us anyway." Stella quickly followed Bosch to the sink in the back. Gabriel then made his way to the living room where Angela had set up shop and was coloring again. Jack was quick to drift after Gabriel when he left, hovering near him.

 

" Hey Angie, what are you drawing?" Gabriel sat on the floor with her, crossing his legs and holding his ankles while he leaned forward to watch. Angela was working on her drawing very intently and with a precision and purpose Jack hadn't seen in a child before. "I'm making your picture to take with you!" she declared proudly before returning to coloring.

"This is me, and mama, and papa, and then you and your quiet, floating friend!"

That startled Jack a bit. Angela hadn't acknowledged him, so he'd just assumed she couldn't see him. "I'm not that quiet..."

"Well you're not talking much!" Angela declared, "See, this is you here!"

" Wow, look at you little artist!" He grinned, " That looks just like your parents, and me, what do you think Jack? I think she caught you right too."

Jack chuckled softly and nodded. "Yeah, you're quite talented Angela."

Gabriel tilted his head and watched her continue coloring. " You are going to be great at this...do you want to be an artist when you grow up? Or are you going to be a doctor like mommy and daddy?"

Angela beamed at the praise, but she quickly shook her head when Gabriel asked if she wanted to be an artist. "No! I wanna be a doctor and help people! But I have to learn to fly first!"

"Why is that?" Jack asked with humor in his tone.

"Because I need to fly, silly! I have wings!" Angela declared like it was the most obvious thing in the world. She opened them to prove her point and fluffy white down slowly floated to the floor. Gabriel scooped it up to at least put in a pile where it wouldn't get everywhere.

"Yes you do," Gabriel beamed, gently ruffling her hair. "And what pretty wings they are~" He envied his friends with kids and he had envied those that were married, but he and Jack had basically decided the same now. "When do you think you'll be able to fly sweetheart?"

Angela beamed and spread her wings wider to show them off. They were still covered in the white and yellow down, but golden feathers were beginning to peak through. "Mama says that once all my down is gone, I can fly on Auntie Ana's farm!" she declared proudly. "You have to come watch!"

Jack smiled softly. "Gabriel and I are there almost every day," he stated with a nod and smile, "I have my horse there-"

"You have a horse?!" Angela exclaimed before she went back to her picture to draw him. "What color is he?! Is he all ghosty like you?!"

Jack couldn't help but smile at that. "No, he's a regular horse," he explained, talking her through how to draw Harley, and Angela got every detail. He was a bay, with a white diamond shaped star on his head, and a white stocking on the front right and back left. "That is very impressive Angela... it looks just like him." Of course, as identical as a five year old could draw a horse. Angela finished her drawing just as the rubber mold had finished drying.

"This should work," Stella replied.

"It always does." Gabriel took it gratefully, and Angela's picture, "Now you have to call me when you give Angie flying lessons, she has stated I have to come watch."

Angela handed over the picture with a smile before running to hide behind her mother's legs. "He has to come, mama..." she said, gently tugging on her mother's pant leg.

Bosch chuckled softly and nodded. "Then he will come," he chimed with a smirk, looking back at Gabriel. "Let us know if you encounter any problems," he stated as he handed over a cooler to Gabriel. "Otherwise I look forward to meeting you soon, Jack."

"Yes, t-thank you," he said with a nod, "I look forward to watching you fly, Angela." That made the little girl giggle and beam. 

Stella nodded in agreement, playing in her daughter's hair. "We'll see you soon Gabriel, you too Jack."

 

Once back home, Gabe led Jack to a back room, hidden behind the counter and under the stairs that led up to the house. There lay the deep freeze he spoke about and a bathtub with some questionable stains on the concrete beneath it. "Alright, so this is where it starts." He moved to the cabinet to get what he needed to make the skull. Bone dust, powdered milk and a binding agent would compose the mock skull until Gabriel's magic would make it real. He started with the bones, laying them in the places they would be if the skeleton was wired together. He let the skull mold settle and dry while he worked on purifying the organs in the cooler.

That seemed to be the tricky part.

Gabriel hadn't explained anything yet, he had to focus, he couldn't just whisk the impurities away he had to focus it on something else. Thankfully he had just the item to do it. A small satchel hung in the room, acting as a barrier to keep negative energy out so that nothing could take over anything he made in here without permission. He focused removing every ailment into the satchel and the crinkling of the plants inside it was a sign that the decay was transferring correctly. Jack's eyes followed after Gabriel, but for the first time, he truly felt like a ghost floating on the fringes of Gabriel's life. The other man was silent as he worked, and while Jack appreciated that there was a delicate process to this whole procedure and likely several important steps, he was nervous.

Hell, he'd face down the confederate army again fearlessly compared to this...

Now Gabriel turned to Jack. "Ready?"

"Ready for what?" Jack asked, the strain in his voice clear. "You haven't told me what I'm doing. What you're doing," he muttered, trying to stay calm. Gabriel wouldn't hurt him, he believed that, but this was all creeping him out...

"Heh sorry," He rubbed his neck, "I have all of the basic components for your body, elements that make it up and the right ingredients that I can't create...are you ready to see some real necromancy? It's not going to be pretty, you're sure you can do this?"

Jack tried to relax and breathe as Gabriel finally spoke. "I'm... it's fine. It's all fine," he murmured, "I'm just kind of... terrified by all of this," he murmured with a sigh. "I'm ready." 

He cracked his knuckles and wiggled his fingers before taking a deep breath and pulling on some gloves. "Here we go..." 

First thing that had to be done was putting everything where it belonged. He started with the heart and lungs, then moved his way down to the colon, Jack's touch would give the body its genetics and sex organs. Next he popped a bag of blood open but he paused first. "This might be a trigger for your PTSD, so you can look away or plug your nose if you have to okay?" Jack continued to insist that he was okay, and so Gabriel began pouring the blood in. Bag after bag went in until it looked like a thick black soup, enough blood to fill a person anyway. Then Gabriel worked on the keratin and the other components that would make up Jack's skin and hair. Finally he took the skull he had made and focused on it, chanting in Spanish until the white of the skull began to turn creamy....and suddenly a mold made of dust and gel became solid bone. Gabriel submerged it completely in the mixture then stood and took off the gloves. He had to hang a new satchel for this rite.

It smelled like iron from all the blood. The skull seemed to stare back at Gabriel and then slowly turn to Jack-

 Jack had turned away and plugged his nose, but the smell of so much blood was hard to escape. It sent him to the ground dry heaving with tears building in his eyes. He could hear Gabriel chanting some kind of incantation in Spanish and the smell was fading-

" Jack?"

" I'm fine! I'm fine, don't stop..."

Gabriel watched him, making sure Jack was calm again before he began another incantation. 

"Maiden mother of the waxing moon, A servant of your sisters calls on thee. I bring the components of life and ask a vessel be created, give me the strength to bind sinew to bone, to bag and protect soft tissues and cage the heart and lungs in bone. Lend me your gifts young one and bring a pure soul his tether to life." Gabriel's hands swirled in his red magic, and once he waved his hands over the tub, the magic began.

The disgusting concoction began to bubble at first, the skull sank into position and a red light settled over it. The noises made while muscle and bone were repaired were subtle but stomach turning. Squelching and popping began as the concoction then took shape. At first it was a simple figure, but skin began to cover muscle and features began to show. The skin began to solidify at his toes, then worked its way like a flowering vine up his legs, hips, chest, down his arms and back up his neck until an eerily familiar face formed. The whole spell took concentration, and Gabriel's brow was knit with it. He grunted and groaned with the effort, guiding the shapes this way and that until Jack's body was complete.

Gabriel used cornsilk as the start for his hair, and a blond plain swept over his head like the wind through tall grass. 

Jack was fine for a moment until the sounds started. He made the mistake of glancing up and looking himself straight in the face....himself, looking dead or asleep, it felt wrong. He gagged again and turned away, trembling on the floor. The sounds were sickening. He was glad he was already dead or he would have surely thrown up enough to be in danger of dying all over again. He didn't peer up again until the sounds subsided, and even with the heartbeat steady in his chest, he felt himself panic staring in his own eyes. His skin wasn't bloody though. There was no sign of bullet wounds or where he'd been crushed under his own horse. 

Gabriel then staggered back from the tub as the body finished, panting, " J-Jack?" 

"You... made me..." he murmured before sitting back and breathing heavily, still ready to gag and going into a panic attack. "I'm sorry, I need a minute, I can't..."

Gabriel was immediately at Jack's side then. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry Jack, are you alright?" He knelt beside him and gently rubbed his back. "I'm here..." He grimaced, "You're here...you're alive. Body or not we're here...and we're okay." He opened his arms in an offer to hold him. "It's alright...you don't have to...not right away." He kissed his head and sighed in his hair. "We can wait, whenever you're ready." He glanced at the body and sighed. It could stay there for a bit...he would keep it cool in a moment. Jack needed him. "Jack?"

Jack was still shaking, curling his fingers into fists on the floor. That _smell_... at least it wasn't mixed with gun powder and the smell of grass and leaves on the air... He grit his teeth and leaned into Gabriel's arms when they came. He was solid and it was enough to drive away memories that were like dust around his face and mind. "Just hold me... I'm sorry, just hold me and keep talking. Tell me what year it is, anything," he muttered, taking deep breaths. He choked back a sob. "So many of them died out there..." Gabriel gently shushed him, arms encircling Jack in a protective way as he nodded and began to speak.

" We're in Los Angeles, California." Gabriel held him tightly, " It's 2016...it'll be 2017 soon, you've got Harley, alive and well, and you've got new friends, Ana, Stella, Basch, Reinhardt...and me. We have yet to go on a proper date and somehow we're in love already." He teased, nuzzling into the cold wisps of hair. He paused then sighed, "You won...nobody died in vain. I'm here because of you and your squad Jack." He closed his eyes and put his cheek against the top of his head. " I didn't mean to scare you..." He smiled softly, " After this we'll go see Harley, does that sound like a good idea?" Even those small details that Jack already knew brought him back to Gabriel, the little touches to his hair helped too. He breathed slowly, closing his eyes and focusing on the heartbeat in his chest and not the death and misery his memories conjured up. 

"Yes... I think he'd like to see me solid again too," Jack murmured with a soft sigh. He opened his eyes slowly. He didn't like it down here, but this would do. "Thank you..." he murmured, still breathing slowly. "... what do I need to do now?"

" Take a deep breath first, one long one count to ten," Gabriel did the same, breathing with him to make sure he was completely calm, " And out ten...there." Jack did as he was instructed, his form melting a bit against Gabriel as he breathed out. Gabriel brushed his hair out of his eyes. " I've got a robe down here and we'll go upstairs and get you clothes, but you just lie down in the tub and since it's empty it should let you in." Jack glanced once more at the tub, but the strong smell of iron had faded slowly and it wasn't nearly as bad now. He moved slowly into the tub, feeling the draw from the empty body. He didn't think he could admit how much that freaked him out. He let it happen, slipping into the body and at first feeling nothing. Meanwhile Gabriel draped the pendant he'd made of Jack's Phenacite over his head. 

" Jack, breathe."

He grinned as the body took its first breath, and Jack felt it warm around him, colorless eyes opened and quickly filled with blue, telling Gabriel that the body took. " You're probably going to get a sensory overload here for a bit, so we'll wait until you stop feeling like everything tingles." He offered the robe so Jack could cover himself.

" How's it feel to be alive again?" He shivered and sat up slowly, though it was hard as feeling wasn't fully back to his limbs yet. Everything felt numb, but was quickly replaced with a pins and needles sensation.

"Sore... really numb but... it feels good," he murmured, looking at Gabriel. "I forgot what all this felt like..."

That's just the start, you'll start to feel warmer the longer you're in it." He smiled softly then touched his cheek, "Can you feel that now?" He smirked, " I think I made you taller." He teased, touching his nose and forehead to Jack's. Jack blinked before he slowly smiled. His gaze seemed to soften slightly. 

"Yes... I can," he breathed out with a soft chuckle, gently placing his hand over Gabriel's laughing softly as feeling began to return. He could only smile more as Gabriel leaned forward. Jack closed the distance and kissed him softly. He felt two heartbeats skipping in his chest and he chuckled as he pulled away. 

" Let's go get you some clothes and we'll go see Harley...and then go shopping for some clothes you'll actually wear." He beamed, " You can go through my clothes and figure out what you want to wear to go see your horse." He kissed his head, " Do you feel better?"

 "Your clothes are a bit complex for me. Do city folk even have jeans and button downs?" he teased before trying to stand on wobbly feet. "I feel great... like I forgot how to walk but... shoot, I can walk!"

" I wear jeans!" Gabriel rolled his eyes, "We'll find a Boot Barn or something and you can be a cowboy again."

"Not the right kind," Jack protested with a smirk, "Yours are too tight. You'd get road rash the second you tried to do anything in those." He laughed and kissed him again, catching him before he could fall.

"Maybe I should get you a cane for a few days....old man." He teased, helping him along. 

"I might be an old spirit, but I'm hardly an old man yet," he teased with a smirk. "I'll be fine. It's just hard to judge where the floor is right now."

" I'm sure I've got something similar to your style." Gabriel chuckled softly and helped him up the stairs, " I could carry you if you'd rather..."

"Please, spare me some of my dignity," Jack laughed, clinging to him as they went. He led him to the bedroom and let him sit on the bed while he tossed Jack some of his bigger sized jeans.

"Those shouldn't be too tight....and now I need a shirt to give you...and I have new underwear you can use..."

 He gratefully took the jeans and underwear, pulling them on. He then caught a glance of Gabe's favorite hoodie just hanging out beside him. "This works," he teased with a chuckle as he pulled it on. It was nice and loose on his form, and it still smelled like what he assumed Gabriel smelled like.

" Oh you found something?" He turned then blinked as Jack zipped the hoodie up. " Well alright then, until you get clothes of your own I guess you can wear that..." He scoffed, "Here's some socks, and you can wear my sneakers." Gabriel then paused to look Jack over. " Sexy~" He laughed, " Black isn't your color though is it?" He kissed his head then offered his hand.

Jack chuckled as he shook his head. He'd never worn anything quite like this jacket of Gabriel's, but it was nice and warm. He pulled on the rest of his clothes and stood slowly, only to smile and blush a bit at Gabriel. "Not at all."

" Lets go snuggle Harley~"

"Yeah, he'll be excited."

 

Soon as Jack rounded the corner into the barn, however, he was nervous. Would Harley recognize him? Would he only respond to his ghost form. He peered into the stall, whistling softly for Harley's attention, but holding tight to Gabriel's hand. They arrived later than Harley was used to, besides today was his and Jack's day off. The sun was setting and Harley had a full belly that made him sleepy.

Then he heard his cue.

His head shot up but he didn't stand yet, nickering from his bed of shavings. He pricked his ears and shot up when he saw Jack though, poking his head out of the stall to sniff and nuzzle Jack. He smelled the same, but now he was solid. The horse seemed confused, pushing Jack around with his face.

"Pff I think he's trying to push through you." Gabriel grinned, rubbing the horse's head. He soon got the hint and put his chin on Jack's shoulder like he used to. He rubbed his upper lip on Jack in a grooming behavior, welcoming him back into the herd before his nose pressed on his cheek instead.

Jack smiled as Harley responded to his cue, though his expression turned nervous as Harley tried to push through him. "That's a no go, buddy, I'm solid," he murmured with a soft smile.

"So what was that lip thing all about?" Gabriel teased. "Is that why they call that a horse bite?" he made the motion of pushing on his shoulder.

" Heh I guess so," He relaxed when Harley nibbled at him, chuckling softly and rubbing Harley's face and neck. "I know big guy, I know," he murmured, "I missed you too." He smiled and tilted his head into Harley while smiling at Gabriel. "It's grooming. Welcoming me back to the herd," he said with a smile, "And here I was scared he'd be afraid of the new me."

" Nah, animals are smart like that, he loves you. He probably remembers how you smelled anyway." Gabriel beamed, " It's nice to see you able to pet and feel him I'm sure. I bet he likes your scratches even more now."

The horse nuzzled against his forehead and nickered at him.

" Who's a happy boy?" Gabriel beamed and pat his neck.

Jack chuckled softly and nodded, kissing Harley's nose before turning to kiss Gabriel. "Both of us are..."


	8. Consummation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER IS NSFW AND REALLY SHORT YOU WON'T MISS ANYTHING IF YOU SKIP IT

Jack adjusted to life quickly. Now that he was physically present, he'd walked into walls a few times and even flipped over a fence. Despite some bruises, he'd been fine. He was also trying to pick up some magic and though he was struggling with the basics, Gabriel was thrilled he was making progress at all. Christmas had been spent with Ana and Reinhardt, which was nice and quiet. Reinhardt told Jack all kinds of stories about his adventures as a knight back in Bavaria. Which Ana had to remind him had become a part of Germany by that time. They exchanged gifts and it seemed like the next day was the new year's party Reinhardt insisted they come to. 

Jack ended up meeting more of the magical community because of it. It wasn't the biggest party Gabriel had ever been to, but it was good sized. The Zieglers had come and gone, stopped by with Angela to say hello and wish everyone a happy new year while a few other interesting people and creatures had popped in. A woman with multiple arms had Jack curious for quite some time actually, Gabriel had to remind him that the lovely lady was a Devi and hated being stared at. They were setting off fireworks and everyone could camp, drink, and celebrate in one of the pastures before the horses took it over again. Jack was excited to spend the night outside, and even more so when he found a bottle of bourbon he particularly liked. He was leaning heavily on Gabriel, feeling warm and content as he stared up at the stars. Just as quickly as the party had started, it ended. 

Gabriel had his arm around Jack and was nursing a beer of his own. " I told you not to drink all that." He grinned, " Are you ready to go home?"

"Reinhardt said no driving, remember?" Jack teased with a chuckle, sighing slowly and closing his eyes, feeling his head spinning with a pleasant buzz. "We have the tent. And sleeping bags we can zip together." He turned his head to kiss Gabriel's chin. "I'm not too eager to move though." 

He grinned, snuggling into their camp chairs and the blanket they were sharing. " It would be more comfy in the tent though..." He argued, playing in Jack's hair. Sometimes he still pulled out little threads from the cornsilk that dyed his hair. He didn't tell Jack that though. He beamed and sighed again, " You're wonderful...I don't tell you that enough." He slammed the rest of his beer then sighed and tilted his chin to kiss him. " Let's hit the hay...the sooner we do the sooner I can sleep off a hang over." He snorted through his laugh.

" That requires moving..." Jack replied with a smirk finishing his bourbon just in time for Gabriel to pull him into a kiss. It was warm and made Jack smile softly, leaning forward into it. He drew back with a sigh and a smirk, standing on wobbling feet. He didn't drift far from Gabriel though. When they reached the tent, Jack waited for Gabriel to flop down before he flopped next to him. He watched him quietly for a few minutes with a content smile before shifting over to start kissing him deeply. A smart quip didn't even have time to leave Gabe's lips, Jack's were already there. He felt his heart skip a beat and his hands move up to caress his cheeks. He kept their lips connected and sat up, bringing Jack even closer. That wasn't enough either as turning this way was starting to make a twinge in his back, so Jack was promptly placed in his lap.

Soon his arms wound around his hips instead, and his kisses were moving down Jack's jaw. Jack hummed happily and wrapped his arms around Gabriel's shoulders, moaning softly and trying to encourage him until Gabriel suddenly stopped. This caused Jack to huff and pout like a little kid. 

" Are you good for this?" He shook his head quickly as if trying to shake off his own buzz. " Can we do this without you feeling guilty?"

"Are you?" he teased, gently poking Gabriel's nose with a smirk.

"Why yes, I love you most ardently~ Pshhh fuck is that how it went? I don't care, fuck it," He resumed his assault on Jack's neck. He nipped and sucked at his skin until little pink marks dotted his trail to the collar of his shirt. Jack grinned and laughed as Gabriel ignored his own concerns in favor of kissing him more, something Jack very much so approved of. He tilted his neck and gave Gabriel some encouragement with soft pants and chants of his name. "Off." Gabe then instructed, now wiggling out of his shirt. Jack did the same. He didn't bother undoing all the buttons, only as many as he needed to wiggle free.

"Do you like me pampering you? Do you wanna be the pillow princess?" Gabriel grinned against his skin again, now kissing where his clavicles met on his chest. His hands ran up the sides of his ribcage, touching his chest and finding solid muscle as they trailed back down to the waistband of his boxers, slightly poking over his jeans. 

"Pillow princess?" he repeated before huffing. His own hands were wandering, exploring muscles and flesh he'd only gotten tastes of before. "I just don't want to wait. I'll be bottom, whatever," Jack murmured, leaning in to catch Gabriel's lips again and to let their tongues tangle.

Gabriel growled and turned him over, the whole sleeping bag rotated with him and it took some wiggling to get Jack off the zipper. "There, better?" He grinned and laughed, kissing him again as their pants bunched in the bottom of the bag. He lay over Jack and grinned as they touched through their boxers. "Big boy huh?" He kissed his neck, "I'll play with you..." He ducked his cold hand down his pants and laughed at the squealing.

"Sh-shit Gabe! You're freezing! Did you go jump in the lake before this?"

"Shh it'll warm up." Gabriel kissed him this time, savoring the taste of the sweet bourbon on Jack's tongue and the smell of hay in his hair. Jack hummed softly against his lips, tilting his head and nuzzling closer. "I love you." Gabriel whispered between kisses. "I love you, and I'm goin to make love with you, and it'll he fucking magical." He nipped at his shoulder now, only sitting up to rummage through his bag for home made lotion. Plant oil made good lube right?

"Love you too, Gabe. I'm glad you're the one who found me..." he murmured, feeling a wave of sappy feelings and emotions washing over him, but it wasn't the time or place to let them go. "Ngh, but you already are magic," he teased with a grin, "so that's a give in."

"Without a spell," Gabriel then amended, taking his and Jack's underwear down to meet their pants. His fingers were coated in lotion next, and he drug them from the tip of his penis back to prod his opening. His other hand took advantage of the slick left behind and began a steady rhythm against his cock.

"How's that to start?" He slid two fingers in. Jack had almost forgotten how good it felt to have a partner. The kissing and rolling around in bed before falling asleep had been nice, but nothing could quite compare to being touched like this. He groaned and rolled his hips, trying to find just a bit more friction. 

"Ngh, good. So good," he groaned out, his toes curling before he shifted to kiss him again. 

Gabriel smirked and returned the kisses, helping Jack up on his elbows so he could keep working him. Jack's voice alone made him hard, for the farm boy was not a quiet lover. Jack couldn't help it- he wanted to make noise. He'd never been able to make any noise with any of the people he'd previously been with. The fear of being caught outweighed the pleasure. Now, though, he felt free to let Gabriel know just how much he was enjoying his hands. Soft whimpers followed each stroke before he bowed his back and cried his name. "Yea you like that?" He growled back, his thumb pressing on him every time his hand moved up. Meanwhile he spread his fingers inside him at the same time, his rhythm picking up slightly. "Tell me about it Indiana...I want to hear your voice " He didn't need coherent words or begging of any kind, he just needed to hear his name drip from Jack's lips. 

" Gabe...f-fuck- Gabriel!" He reached for his hair, taking a fist full and just holding onto it, Gabriel bowed over him to make it easier. Soon he was stroking them together, member to member, and a third finger stretched him open.

"Relax Jackie...or I'll never fit. You want that don't you?" He made his voice sickly sweet, teasing and caring both at once.

"Ugh, yes, you know I do," he groaned out. "Stop teasing, assha- ngh..."

"You have to loosen up first....like that," He grinned, reaching for the lotion again and slathering it on. He slipped from Jack only after that, leaving his hand still around him and slick with the makeshift lube. He spread his fingers one more time inside before pulling them and replacing them with his penis. He didn't move for a moment, letting Jack relax around him before he pushed any further. Even in a tipsy haze, Jack didn't know how much he wanted this until Gabriel was inside. For a minute he forgot to breathe and he definitely forgot to relax around Gabriel. 

"Breathe kid, breathe..." He kissed his neck gently, then his cheek and he trailed to his lips as he started to move. "That's it...hnmm that's right just- like that." He panted with Jack, running his hands down his sides before he placed one on his chest, splaying his fingers out between his pecs. The other hand found his penis again, "Don't want you feelin neglected now..."

Jack's feet scrambled to find purchase inside the sleeping bag so he could rock back against Gabriel. "Neglected...with you? Heh- impossible," he panted out with a smile.

"Damn straight..." Gabriel leaned over him for a kiss again, holding his hips to force him to keep rhythm. The slow pace derailed quickly, Jack could power bottom Gabriel without even meaning to, his body just knew what to do to drive him crazy. Slowly the coil in the pit of Gabe's stomach curled tighter and tighter, "You're leaking too..." He grinned, smearing precum over his thumb, "I'll let go when you do..." Just the whisper and the lips against his ear were enough for Jack. He came with a soft cry, settling into the sleeping bag like a limp pile of drunken noodles soon after. He waited for Gabriel to finish before he dragged him down into a kiss.

"Mm... that was worth waiting for... but let's not wait that long again," he teased with a content, tired sigh.

"Never....never again..." Gabriel beamed and nuzzled into his neck, gently sliding from him and spooning him. His arms encircled his middle and he kissed the back of his neck. Jack smiled at that and was content to cuddle close. He was peppering what skin he could reach with lazy kisses before Gabriel spoke again. "Marry me Jack..." He smiled against his skin. "It doesn't have to be big or even a celebration, but it will make it easier to get kids..." He yawned. "Think about it..."

"Can we do that?..." he murmured in confusion before shaking his head with a sigh. "I will...ask me again when we're not drunk."

"A fair response," Gabriel sniggered and nuzzled against him again. "Good night, mi sol..."

Gabriel woke the next morning with a throb in his temples and a groan as the sun awoke him. "Ngh....what time is it?"

"Hff, past sun up. Too early..." he mumbled before sighing. "We gotta pack up before noon or Ana might come out with the hose," he teased with a tired chuckle.

"Shit you're right-" He sat up and quickly remembered everything. "Tell me you remember last night..." He stretched, "I don't want to be an ass and have taken advantage of you..." He gathered their clothes from the sleeping bag and shoved them in the dirty clothes mesh bag he brought. Now he was pulling on the fresh clothes he brought with a sigh.

Jack blinked at Gabriel's words before he chucked slowly, tilting his head. "Why would I forget? I wasn't that drunk," he said with a smirk, patting Gabriel's shoulder as he slipped past him to get his own clothes. "Drunk enough for a hangover, but I remember everything." He smirked and turned Gabriel's head to kiss him. "And that you made a promise to do it again sometime soon."

"I did~" He hummed against those perfect lips and sighed through his nose. "Get dressed freckles." He teased, "We still have to break down camp." Another kiss and Gabriel grinned. "Maybe we can have round two once we get home?"


	9. Talon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got my wisdom teeth out yesterday @_@ so I apologize if this took a little while and isn't as well written as the rest of it but I wanted to share anyway ^^

Three years pass.

Gabriel and Jack had a court room wedding, but Rosa insisted on a reception which was nice. Jack was now a regular white witch, learning and creating spells in his own book of light. He had tried to tease Gabriel with Corn spells only to have them actually work. Corn husk poppets with lavender and rosemary worked to keep undesirable characters from harassing the shop and its customers, a potion made with sweet corn and honey was not only more palatable, but had uplifting and restorative properties. Gabriel needless to say was surprised it actually worked.

Jack became a shield when they went on jobs.

His white magic could blind a demon just by looking at him, and his natural spiritual barrier (being the pure soul he was) was far stronger now that he knew how to use it. Demons hiding from Gabriel couldn't hide from Jack, and once thrown into the light, Gabriel could take care of them with the hellfire shotguns. Jack was certain that life couldn't get any better than this. He didn't realize how comforting it was to embrace magic and he felt like he'd truly found himself through corn, of all things. He made Gabriel keep a fresh ear in his car for every occasion now and Jack was even joking of starting to grow corn out back behind the shop. Harley was tightening up too, and he'd become the horse Jack remembered. Reinhardt and Ana still talked often about getting him to show.

He finally consented to working on a routine when things changed in the barn. Harley was on edge more and spooking more. He didn't want to work like he used to and he'd rather stay outside than in his stall. It didn't make sense until Jack left his body behind in Ana's bathtub and went to investigate as a spirit. That was when he saw black ooze trailing out to the hay barn...

 

Gabriel was just getting ready for a lunch break when Ana called.

"Gabriel you need to get here quick..." She grimaced, "Jack and I spotted something out in the hay barn that I think we need your help with."

"Yea I'm on my way..."

 

  
The black ooze was forming into the shape of paw prints, they climbed the walls of the hay barn, even the ceiling, and the air was heavy with sorrow and pleading. There was more than one presence here too. A soft crying could be heard, but only by Jack, Ana could hear nothing...

She hung up with Gabe then turned to Jack, "What do you feel?"

"Watch out for Gabe and keep my body safe," he instructed Ana in response before he floated up toward the sound of the crying, up into the dark loft. "Hello? I'm not here to hurt you..."

They came from a little boy surrounded by black mist which collected beside him in the shape of a little girl. Jack blinked and drifted closer, kneeling in front of the children. He could see them both clearly, but this wasn't right. The boy glanced up then yelped.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you," Jack quickly tried to calm him, holding out one hand, "Don't worry, I'm-"

"No! No get away we don't want to hurt y- AH!" The collar around his neck shocked him and suddenly he turned into a wolf. The black mist swirled around him making him even bigger.

 **We don't want to hurt him-** his voice was garbled with someone else's. The collar shocked him again and after another yipe he roared so loud that Ana came running in just in time to see the young werewolf attempt a lunge at Jack. Instead he landed in front of her...

"REINHARDT!" She quickly snatched a stun grenade off her belt and flung it, giving her time to get away. Gabriel would be another twenty minutes.

"Ngh, Ana, close the barn! He can't hurt me!" he shouted, moving to draw the wolf away from the door. He even whistled loudly for his attention to give Ana and Reinhardt time to get away. Just as he said that though, the black mist clawed Jack as the wolf leapt for him at the whistle, another roar leaving his throat. He howled and tore after Jack again, the black mist reaching for him.

Jack hissed in pain and darted away. That was definitely new... demons usually couldn't touch him... He wasn't expecting to have to move and physically dodge this creature and he didn't have corn or time to get off much of a spell. "HEY! I saw the two of you in there, you don't have to fight me!" he shouted, getting snagged by the shadow again. "I don't want to hurt you, I'm here to help!"

 

Meanwhile outside Ana whirled on Reinhardt as he reached them, "Jack is in there with a shifted werewolf....at noon." She grimaced, "I'll try and call Gabriel can you help him in there?"

Reinhardt went through concern, anger and determination all at once. He nodded and gently cupped her face. "Don't open the door until Gabriel arrives. I can help Jack, we'll be fine. Don't worry." With that he passed her his amulet, and slipped into the barn as he began to change, the door closing behind him. "Jack!" Reinhardt fully changed was a massive seven four, and he had the mane, the claws and the face of a lion. Silver fur covered his body and his tail was tipped in black barbs. His leathered wings were black in hue like his tail and his roar had shaken the barn.

At the call the wolf turned and snarled, watching Reinhardt with his hackles raised. **Can't...fight...**  

"You can fight it! I know you can!" Jack stated firmly, smiling softly as they tried. The black mist tried to pull away, taking the form of a little girl reaching for Jack and the boy turned half way. "There you go. There you go," he said, his voice softening before another shock from the collar made him scream and shift back into a wolf. The wolf left the mist with Jack and lunged at Reinhardt again. "Reinhardt, the collar! Break the collar off!" he shouted over the roars and howls sounding through the barn. The little mist girl screeched and drifted around Jack, trying to claw at him, cursing him in Spanish and going for his eyes. Jack was not used to having to be so maneuverable. He hissed and cursed in pain as the little girl got a painful scratch down his face. He tried to shield his eyes after that, but her little fingers made him feel like he was burning.

Reinhardt only had enough time to look up and nod at Jack's words before the wolf was on him. He roared loudly to try and scare him or at least give him pause. He was not going to run. He would meet this wolf head on. Reinhardt lowered into an attack, lunging for the wolf to try and catch him so he could rip the collar off. Teeth buried into Reinhardt's arm but the wolf didn't have enough leverage to do any damage besides that. He tried to spin and rip but Reinhardt grabbed the collar and it sent a shock racing through both of them. The wolf let go and struggled against Reinhardt again, causing the manticore to stagger back. "Ngh... we're just trying to help! Let us help!" he shouted over the howl of the wolf before Gabriel arrived.

He threw open the door and slammed it shut behind him, causing enough distraction for Reinhardt to gather himself again. The wolf snarled and another pull from the collar brought the shade back to him. **KILL THE WITCH!**

Gabriel had just enough time to grab his shotguns and roll out of the way. "Jack are you alright?!" He grimaced firing at the wolf, the spread just barely nicking them.

The mist screamed and the wolf yelped as they tried to pull apart again. **KILL! KILL THE WITCH!**

Jack was panting in pain on the ground, still covering his face when he heard the shot. "No! Gabe don't! They're just kids!" he shouted over the noise, "Don't kill them, they need help! It's a shock collar!"

" shit," Gabe had to think fast. He was being targeted now, "Reinhardt grab him from behind! Jack I need a barrier now!" The wolf jumped again and Gabriel fired at their feet, trying to throw them off as he ran. Meanwhile Ana had scaled the barn outside using an old grain bin. She drew a wand of yew with a rose quartz tip and citrine base, quickly changing it into a rifle. She was aiming at Reinhardt first. Every shot of pink and gold light made his bite and scratch wounds start to heal instantly as she sat in the window. " Get in there, I'll take care of you." She turned the rifle on Jack and helped him with some of her own magic as well. Thankfully the babysitter with little Fareeha was none the wiser. Reinhardt beamed up at his wife, purring loudly in her direction before his focus was back on the werewolf. With another roar, he tackled the wolf and pinned him. 

Gabriel huffed and watched the collar, dropping a gun in favor of cloaking his hand in his magic. " Let's go Jack, you try and grab the spirit attached to him..."

"Got it, just don't hurt them!" he called back, watching Gabriel move in and ready to protect him further if he had to. He took a deep breath and waited for Reinhardt to wrestle the wolf down. He raced in then, Jack's magic surrounding him in white light before he grabbed the collar with the enchanted hand. He pulled it over the wolf's head while Jack grabbed the girl, and they both fell limp.

The wolf quickly changed into a naked young boy, maybe seven years old, and the girl was quickly solid, human even. She nearly fell through Jack's arms, but he was somehow still able to hold her.

" Mari....is Mari okay?" The boy shivered and groaned before he passed out in Reinhardt's arms. As soon as the collar was off, Reinhardt released his grip and gently held the boy closer. His gaze fell on Gabriel.

"He seemed to target you... do you recognize him?" he asked, standing slowly and carefully cradling the boy in his arms.

Jack was holding the spirit close, focusing on holding something so solid. She looked so young... "Gabe..."

" No...neither of them look familiar..." He looked over the collar now, the insignia on the back of it looked like an eagle preparing to land on its prey. "....I don't recognize this either..." He sighed, " They were cursed though...I can feel that much on them, and this was the conduit." He held up the collar. " They must have been getting orders from it too..." he felt the boy's head and made sure he was still breathing before he moved to the girl.

As Gabriel held her she felt so light...

" She can't be older than four..." He grimaced, " She might even be the same age as Fareeha..."

Ana slid down the ladder and furrowed her brow as she joined them. " Who curses children?" She sighed, "Then leaves them naked in their changing?" Ana sighed, " I have clothes for this one." She gently brushed the little girl's hair from her eyes, handing Gabriel Reinhardt's amulet. " Do you have something he can wear?"

" Yea, I got a shirt that would make a good nightgown for him...I can ask around for some clothes though...maybe the dragons. They have boys his age..." Gabriel traded the boy for Reinhardt's amulet.

Ana led the way inside, fuming. Gabriel made a detour to the car, pulling his shirt over the sleeping boy and sighing softly. " We'll figure it out when they wake up..."

Jack was silent, just holding the girl. She was passed out like the boy, whom he could only assume was her brother, but her hair seemed to be made of smoke. At least the ends of it seemed whisp-like and ethereal. He tried to cradle her against his body, but it felt wrong being a spirit and holding her solid form. He followed Gabe while Reinhardt and Ana went inside. He couldn't meet his gaze though.

"Gabe, we can't leave them..." he murmured softly before sighing. "I left my body in the bathtub. Let me get it and we can take them home." He paused and smirked sadly at him, "Your mother did say she saw children in our future, you know..."

" She's said that for two years, Jack...what if they already have families they were kidnapped from? We just have to wait until they wake up...we don't even know their names..." He huffed, " Let's get them inside...we'll wait for them to wake up and figure it out from there." With that he led them inside. 

"And what if they don't, Gabe?" Jack muttered back with a frown and a twinge of annoyance, "What if they have no one? She's a spirit, Gabe!" He froze however when he realized the babysitter was inside. "Ugh, hang on, I have to go around..."

" Then we keep them then and only then, we aren't kidnappers-" He paused then nodded and let him go around as he walked in. Ana was clinging to Fareeha, making sure she was okay much to the three year old's confusion as well as the baby sitter's. Reinhardt was laughing nervously, just trying to brush it off as Ana having missed Fareeha after reading a story on her phone that scared her. Jack soon emerged from the bathroom with wet hair, an attempt to cover why it took so long.

"Heh, sorry about that but thanks for letting me use the shower." Gabriel moved in with the children leaning on him, pausing as Jack distracted the babysitter enough for him to scurry to the guest room. He lay the siblings gently on the bed, letting them sleep for now. 

 

\---

  
" Status?"

" Lost the assets...the tether was broken," A thick French accent responded. The spindly woman the voice belonged to was leaning against her car, a sleek, black, sporty thing; parked on a hill behind the farm, where she could use her scope to watch everything. She tilted her head as she pressed the phone to her ear, " Shall I recover them? May prove difficult, we're dealing with not only the necromancer but an alchemist too...and a Manticore." 

" Hmm, not a great enough loss to require the trouble, we still have plenty. Retreat Widow, let them go...we knew it wouldn't be a full proof plan with them anyway, they're witch born. We have plenty of pups like him in the mill."

" Understood...I'm on my way back to base then...orphans aren't worth our time it seems...

 

\---

 

 It would be a few hours before they woke up. Jack didn't know how he knew, but he knew that the children didn't have anywhere to go. Obviously he'd be thrilled to give the children back to their parents or guardians if they had them, but he felt the need to watch over and protect them both. He'd never felt like that with any other children before...

So when Gabriel left to talk to Ana and Reinhardt, Jack opted to watch over the children. He was reading the paper when the young boy woke up.

"...Where-?" He rubbed his eyes and seemed more confused at first, gasping when he saw Jack, " W-wait!" He touched his neck then paused. " You...you got it off? Where's Mari?!" He whirled about then took a deep breath as he saw her asleep beside him. "....Where are we?"

"Easy there, kiddo. You had a pretty crazy day..." he mused with a soft smile. "Is that her name? What's yours?" He placed the paper aside. "You are at Wilhelm horse farm. My name is Jack... do you remember attacking me?" The little girl was still sleeping, though she seemed to be stirring too. The boy slowly calmed down, taking a deep breath before answering.

" Her name is Mariana...she's my little sister...I'm Jesse." He sighed, " So...you're not with Talon then if you took off the collar..." He rubbed his neck, " I didn't mean to hurt anyone, is everyone else okay? Mari didn't mean to either." Jesse yawned and stretched then pulled at Gabe's shirt. " Thank you..." He sniffled and started to cry.

"Jesse, it's nice to meet you both," Jack said with a small nod before smiling softly. "No, it's okay, kiddo. Everyone's fine. Are you okay? Sore anywhere?"

" M-My neck..." Jesse whimpered. " It burns still..." 

"Hey, hey, shh, it's okay..." he murmured, standing up and sitting on the edge of the bed. He didn't hesitate to pull Jesse close and rub his back. "You're okay, kiddo...you're safe...you aren't going to hurt anyone."

The crying woke Mariana up and she sat up slowly, her whispy hair bouncing around her face. "Hermano?" She rubbed her eyes then immediately frowned and started pounding her little fists on Jack's arm. "Let him go! Don't touch my big brother and make him cry!" Jack was a little too stunned by the ball of four-year-old fury pounding his arm to respond right away. Thankfully Jesse noticed.

"M-m-Mari it's okay!" Jesse pulled her into the hug too and sobbed in her hair, "Hermanita." He held her tightly, "They saved us...th-they aren't bad guys." He beamed, "Happy crying~" He snuggled against Jack as he held his sister and started to laugh through his tears. 

He chuckled softly as she was pulled into the hug, and he gave them both a squeeze. "Heh, it's okay, I know I'm scary," he teased with a smirk.

Gabriel was quick to enter, sighing softly at the scene. "Good evening..." He sat beside Jack and watched the kids. "Are you two alright?"

Jesse nodded and sniffed, wiping his nose on Gabe's shirt, "We are now mister..." He hugged his sister. "You aren't misty anymore..." He reassured his sister. Mariana seemed unsure, but she began to sniffle too as Jesse held her close. She watched the new man warily before nuzzling closer to Jesse with a huff.

Jack gently brushed Jesse's hair back. "Well you're safe now," he said before glancing at Gabriel. He'd have to mention Talon to him later. "Where are your mom and dad? We can take you home." That just made Mariana cry now.

Jesse only shook his head, "They're...not here anymore..." He frowned, "Our whole pack...our town is gone..."

Gabriel made a face then sighed and clapped Jack on the back, _You win._ "Well, you can stay with us..." He offered. "I can take care of this curse you two seem to be under just to make sure it's not there anymore, and then we'll work on getting better, yea? You can tell us what happened and we'll make sure it doesn't happen again..."

Jesse held his sister tightly and nodded again. "We can have a family again..." He was talking more to Mariana than the men holding them. "It sounds good..." She whimpered softly and hid her face from Gabriel and Jack, nodding in Jesse's shoulder. 

"Don't worry, Mariana, I'm a spirit too. We won't hurt you," he insisted, which seemed to make her relax a bit.

Gabriel smirked, "He doesn't have a fancy body like yours though." He played in her hair. "You two want to come out and meet the rest of the people who saved you?"

Jesse gave a small nod before glancing at his sister. Once it was decided, and everyone had dried up, Jesse and Mariana were introduced to the others. Three year old Fareeha giggled and hid shyly behind Ana, watching the other girl.

"Hi." She said meekly, slowly watching before she went to her dolls and offered one to Mariana, " She looks like you..." 

Ana pat her head, "She's just shy, Fara."  Mariana still hid behind Jesse until Fareeha peered out and greeted her too.

"Hi," she said shyly, though she came out of her shell once Fareeha shared a doll and started playing together.

"We're real sorry about everythin..." Jesse had quite the drawl now that he wasn't focusing on every word he said.

Ana beamed at him, "It wasn't your fault little one, you have a good set of guardians now."

Gabriel affectionately ruffled Jesse's hair. "I think he knows, he's a smart pup."

"It's alright, kiddo. Maybe now Harley will want to go back into his stall, huh?" Jack teased, "You must have met him right?"

"He's the big bay one right? He wanted me to find you after he sniffed me..." Jesse rubbed his neck, it still itched and burned from the collar. "He's a good boy, he knows you help people..."

"That's Harley. He's been my horse for a long time now," he explained with a soft smile, "He let me know something was wrong. I'm glad we found you two when we did."

"You like talking to animals?" Gabriel beamed, finding a seat on the couch as Jesse nodded.

"When I'm a wolf I hear em better..."

Reinhardt nodded, now looking like a normal human again with his pendant. You're quite talented then, eh? Ha!" he teased with a grin, "You'll have to tell me if the horses are mad at me. Sometimes they stew."

Jesse beamed, "They all seem to like it here." He sat beside Gabriel. "So...you said there were others my age? They're really dragons?"

"Heh, they are the oldest dragon family in California...been here since the gold rush, maybe longer." Gabriel sighed, he hadn't realized Jesse heard them talking before, "They keep to themselves most of the time though. The boys have their own private tutor and everything."

"They won't get mad that we're asking for clothes right?"

"Not at all," Ana beamed, watching Fareeha and Mariana play with her dolls, they appeared to be playing super heroes with them. "Hitome will like the boys getting a friend. They don't get off the property often. Though she said she might put them in school..."

Reinhardt laughed loudly at that. "'About time! Those kids need more than their parents to hang around!" he teased with a grin, "Ha, at this rate the town's school is going to be nothing BUT our kind. Stella mentioned Angie's starting school too."

"Well there you have it. Don't worry mijo, they're not like the dragons I'm sure you heard of." Gabriel reassured. Jesse blinked at that then relaxed into Gabriel's side, happy to be so readily accepted. Jack chuckled softly and settled against the counter to keep an eye on Fareeha and Mariana, but Mariana seemed to be laughing and having fun. That was good to see after the tears and fear she'd shown earlier. He hoped that both children would feel that comfortable around him and Gabriel eventually.

"Hitome and Daisuke sound like they would be big and scary, but they're very kind. You don't have to worry," he said with a soft smile.

"Before we do that though...what do you remember about the bad guys Jesse?...You don't have to talk if-"

"No," Jesse interrupted Gabriel. "Ma and pa always told us to tell if we were in trouble...and you already helped us, maybe you can help others like us.. "It was hard for him, he wanted to cry again but he tried to be brave. His voice shook slightly, "They came to town to talk to the mayor, we were all the same, ya know? Not sure what they wanted but the Mayor said no...and then- th-then there was a fire...and I remember helpin ma with Mari and we ran....but they caught us, and I...I only remember bits and pieces.. " He sniffed. "They're called Talon. I had that collar on months...maybe even a year I...I don't remember. They took Mariana away too, but then....then all a sudden Mari was with me again...all the time but not. Like...inside me..." He touched his chest. "I dunno what they did and she don't remember either..." Jack grimaced at the explanation. It was vague and there were so many pieces missing, but Jack knew that had more to do with the trauma than anything. He was worried that both children might have some suppressed form of PTSD, and even more worried that he couldn't help them through it if they needed it. He could only offer so much advice. He hoped that being in a loving home helped them both heal from whatever they'd endured...

"That's okay Jesse, take it easy," Gabriel quickly hugged him. "They're bad guys that's all we need to know." The boy nodded and wiped his eyes.

"I tried to fight it....I tried real hard to keep Mari safe too...but I cain't change all the time. It hurt after a while. Then they took her..." Ana sighed and pat his head.

"You're back together now and you're with us too."

" You fought really hard, Jess, even when you were being shocked," Jack insisted with a nod, "You were very brave." He smiled and gently reached over to ruffle Jesse's hair. "Not everyone can go toe to toe with Reinhardt either. You should be really proud of that."

Reinhardt laughed and nodded at that. "Very brave and strong, ha!"

Jack smiled softly, "Don't worry. We'll work on figuring this out. We'll do whatever we can."

"You're brave for even wanting to talk about it too," Gabriel chimed in as well, " I can work with this..." He would have to do some deep digging, of that he was sure. For now though, the kids were safe and they needed a good home and supportive parents. He couldn't think of a better parent than Jack...and he could learn.

 

Jesse and Mariana were going to share the guest room in the shop until Gabriel could convert the storage room into another bedroom. Which was fine by Jesse, he didn't mind keeping an eye on Mariana, in fact he preferred it. As the children fell asleep Gabriel sighed and shut the door. " Jack...are we really ready for this?"   
  
" I am...and you said you always wanted kids." he reassured, drifting back to Gabriel, his body had to rest tonight or his energy would start causing it to decay. " Look at me Gabriel...you keep talking about how good of a father I'm going to be, but you will be too. You're protective and patient and understanding, Jesse already likes you. Mariana too. Just relax, love...we're going to be a family." He kissed Gabriel's head.   
  
" And skip the nastiness of the system..." Gabriel chuckled, " You're right..." He pulled Jack close to press a kiss to his lips, " Hopefully Hanzo has clothes that will fit him." 

" We'll find out tomorrow." 


	10. New Family

The dragons lived in an old, traditional style Japanese home. It was walled off around the perimeter like a castle, a man made lake behind the home provided irrigation to the horse pastures beyond. A closer look at the house itself and the colors of creamy white, vibrant red and dark brown shingles were even as traditional as they could get. Gabriel estimated that they hadn't changed the look since they moved to America. The car was parked in the circle drive once they were allowed through the gate. Jesse had on what they could grab from a store on the way up, a pair of jean shorts, a t-shirt and sneakers. Meanwhile Mariana had borrowed some purple shirts and jean shorts from Fareeha last night.  Jack tried not to let his intimidation show. Hitome was always nice, but every time he'd met Daisuke, he'd been all business. The man had the intimidation befitting a dragon. He carried Mariana inside, silently praying Daisuke wouldn't be the one to meet them at the door. The kids seemed a little antsy too as Gabriel knocked, but the woman who opened the door was radiating in a warm, kind aura that made them instantly calm. She was short, but very long and lanky in appearance, her long black hair was neatly placed in a bun with a sakura comb decorating it. Her eyes were a dark violet that almost appeared black if one wasn't paying attention. 

"Gabriel~ I was expecting you and Jack sooner." She beamed, "You must be Jesse." she bent to see him eye to eye, "My name is Hitome, the boys are out back playing, and very excited to meet you. You'll be taking some of Hanzo's hand me downs."

"That's alright, thank ya ma'am." He beamed, following Jack and Gabriel inside. Once the door closed, Hitome let her disguise fade. Her horns were ivory white, and she had scales lining her cheek bones and pointed ears then dotted her neck and forehead like sparkly pink freckles. A long tail of the same color with a black mane running along it trailed behind her. Her eyes were now a bright violet and she was more than happy to show them. Mariana gave a small  _oooh_ while Jesse sheepishly hid behind Gabriel.

"I'm sorry we're a little late," Jack replied before smiling. "Hitome, this is Jesse and Mariana. Kids, this is Miss Shimada." Before much else could be said, a young boy, a year or two older than Mariana raced around the corner with a small white ribbon. His horns were a darker orange color and his scales bright lime green, his grey eyes were alight with mischief as he tore through the hall. He gasped as he saw his mother then dove to hide behind her. He had stolen his brother's hair tie and he was giggling like a mad child because of it.

Hitome blinked, "This is Genji." A second boy rounded the corner yelling in Japanese at his brother. His scales were bright blue, and he had ivory horns like his mother, his tail curled behind him and the mane bristled with anger. He had been running, but the second he realized company was here, he froze in place, his long black hair falling over his shoulders. His cheeks suddenly burned bright red before he quickly turned and ran right back out of the room again. He was mortified to be seen like that by the new kids his parents told him about, and of course it was all Genji's fault.

Genji grinned before Hitome scolded him, "Now go give your brother his ribbon back...go on, bring him out here too." She sighed and rolled her eyes. "That was Hanzo...Genji has decided to be quite mischievous lately."

Jesse blinked after Hanzo, having wanted to meet both brothers, but he would meet them soon enough. Hitome led them to the living room, "Daisuke is having a phone meeting right now but he'll be out later. I have some of Hanzo's old clothes here that you can pick from and try on." She beamed, pushing a box to him. "There's a bathroom you can change in behind you too."

Jesse nodded and picked what he wanted to try on first, just as he gathered the clothes, Genji and Hanzo came back in. Hanzo's face was still red. That wasn't the first impression he wanted to leave on strangers, and he fully expected their father to scold him when he found out how he had reacted. He wasn't the calm and collected dragon he was always told to be...he huffed at his brother.

"See? They don't care~" Genji laughed, sitting by his mother, "His name's Jesse." 

" _I care,_ " he muttered in Japanese before looking back at the young boy with his clothes in hand. "Hello Jesse," he said with a small nod, sitting on the other side of his mother away from Genji.

Jack smiled softly and nodded at Jesse while he settled Mariana on his knee. "Well, go on, let's see how you look kiddo!"

Jesse gave a small wave to Hanzo before going off to the bathroom to try them on. He mostly liked the hoodies, which meant Gabriel would have to find him suitable 'country' clothes eventually. Jack could help with that. He picked red colors more than anything and settled beside Hanzo in a comfy red hoodie. "Thanks for all this by the way." He beamed at him, "We really appreciate it." He looked good in the hoodies that Hanzo outgrew... and he just looked so happy to wear them at all.

"It's no trouble. I'm glad you can get some use out of my clothes."

"I'm Jesse, your name is Hanzo?" He grinned, "Nice ta meet ya friend~" he offered his hand like Jack had shown him.

Hanzo blinked before he took the hand, smiling as he shook it. "It's nice to meet you too..." he murmured, still embarrassed. 

Genji seemed to get jealous by the boy giving Hanzo more attention than he, "We were doing samurai practice. Well he was, I'm a ninja!" Hanzo's smile quickly faded as Genji inserted himself into the conversation and took Jesse's attention away.

"Whoa cool! I wanna be a cowboy." Jesse grinned, "Or a horse vet..."

Gabriel smirked as he watched Jesse, but seemed more interested in talking with Hitome.  "So you said Daisuke is still busy?"

"He should be freeing up shortly." Hitome stated, playing in Genji's hair while Hanzo wanted to look like a big kid around his new friend.

Almost on cue, Daisuke stepped into the room. He was a tall, imposing man, with horns a dark brown and scales as dark blue as midnight. Hanzo immediately stiffened at his presence, Daisuke seemed more occupied with Mariana and Jesse, however. "Gabriel, Jack... it's good to see you both. Are these the children?" he asked. His tone was calm and smooth as he sat down in an arm chair. Mariana hid her face in Jack's collar.

"Ha, yes, this is Jesse and Mariana. Don't be shy, sweetie, he's a good guy too," Jack teased with a soft smile, smoothing Mariana's whisps down.

Daisuke chuckled softly, "it's fine, I'm aware I can be quite intimidating..."

Hitome brightened as she watched the children get involved with one another, glancing up as Daisuke entered the room. "The boys have made new friends." She ran her fingers through her hair before watching them. "All of you can go play in the garden if you would like." She offered, "Gabriel had said something about serious business that needed to be spoken about."

Jesse waited for one of the boys to offer to show him around. Genji jumped at it, "Do you want to come too Mariana?"

Jesse beamed, "We'll have an even number for a game too~"

Gabriel kissed her head, "What do you think Mija? Don't you want to go play too?" She nodded then quickly ran to hide behind Jesse and follow him out, clinging to his hoodie the whole way.

As soon as the kids left, Jack sighed. "Daisuke... does the name Talon ring a bell?"

Daisuke's demeanor darkened. "Now how would you know that name?"

Hitome frowned and held her husband's hand.

"They were the ones that hurt Jesse and Mariana...they cursed them and then turned them into a weapon to hunt witches...well me specifically." Gabriel frowned. "I think Talon is hunting us...and the beings that rely on the shop..."

Daisuke sighed slowly and shook his head. "Then this isn't over, my friend," he said simply, "It's only begun. You've won a battle saving these children, but you may have only incited a war in its stead..."

Jack frowned, his brow furrowing, "What do you know about them? You're talking like you've seen this before."

"Talon is a group of hunters of our kind. All of our kind," Daisuke replied, gently squeezing Hitome's hand. "We've evaded them before. No doubt they plan to cut off the supply lines you create and then encircle your clients to eliminate them... their tactics are unprecedented compared to your average monster hunter."

Hitome sighed, " They're an old order...perhaps even a branch of the Templars." She nodded, " They've hunted creatures since their founding, but they may have just recently focused on witches, they may be finding out how much you help everyone."

" I'm guessing they don't like that..."

"No. I imagine once they are rid of you, they expect your clients to slowly reveal themselves. Accidentally or otherwise," the dragon murmured before shaking his head. "What security measures have you placed on your home?"

"We have charms, spells... all kinds of wards protecting the building," Jack explained, but he suddenly felt like that wasn't enough.

"Good. Get a human security system, cameras, everything. I'll pay for it if I must," Daisuke said with a huff, "We cannot lose you Gabriel. This community relies on you wholly."

Gabriel nodded, " Any recommendations?" He sighed and made sure he would remember what he was told. " So Is there any way to find out where they might be hiding?"

Hitome shook her head, " We were chased out by a group in Japan, we never found their nest. They usually hide among society like we do. However they tend to be on the wealthy side too..." Jack rubbed the back of his neck, looking at the floor. When he'd entered into this life with Gabriel, he'd never even considered that there were people out there who would want them dead. Nor that there were people out there who even knew they existed. It made him sick, especially now that they had two children to look after.

"Will they ever stop?..."

"No," Daisuke replied with a soft huff, "Perhaps if you root out their base of operations here, but that may send the entire network on alert..." His brow furrowed a bit. "We'll help where we can, but we can only hope that they may move on to other targets elsewhere."

Hitome nodded, "If they find that you are powerful enough or too much trouble they will leave...perhaps that is why you still have Jesse and Mariana...you may have proven to them that you are not to be trifled with. Bide your time, let the children discover their talents and use them. We want our boys to be able to protect this place as we have. I believe Mariana and Jesse will find their places here as well."

Gabriel gave a nod, "Thank you both..I may take you up on that offer Daisuke..."

All of this just seemed to be stressing Jack out. He was distressed to even think someone would try to kill Gabriel. They were so bound that Gabriel's last breath would be his own... then what would happen to the kids? He shook his head and looked at Daisuke in confusion. "What good will cameras and alarms do?"

"They're still human," Daisuke said simply, "Feigning humanity will mean you can get police on your side. One branch will not convince local law enforcement that you are a supernatural danger to the community when they're the ones breaking and entering with intent to kill. Even bribes will only cover so much."

Gabriel nodded, "Like Hitome said, we need to make them think of us as too much trouble." He sighed, "Should be easier than we think." He took Jack's hand. "We can do this, the kids will be fine. We'll make sure Ana and Reinhardt know too." He kissed his hand and smiled against it. "Thanks again for the clothing and all of your help. If we get any more trouble from them you'll know..."

"It's serious, but once your security measures are in place it should be safer. They'll think twice about trying to sneak up on you then. No amount of ward breaker can fool a camera." Hitome beamed, "Now, no more talk of darkness, let the children play and stay for lunch." She seemed quite insistent.

Daisuke nodded sagely before he smiled softly. "Yes, there's plenty more to discuss." 

 

Jesse and Mariana came home with stories to tell, which made Gabriel even more convinced that adopting them had been the right decision. They were happy with them, and Gabriel wanted to keep them that way.

After dinner, Jesse started to itch. "I think it's starting..." He murmured, moving from his neck to his arms.

"Then let's get your new clothes off so you don't tear them and you can wear an old shirt of mine." Gabriel nodded, helping Jesse undress. "Daddy is going to take care of Mari and I've got you, mijo..." Jesse nodded then beamed.

"Thanks pa..."

Jack was drifting around as a spirit, and after eating, Mariana had decided to join him. She wouldn't say why, but she was insistent on being a spirit when Jesse changed, like when they first found them. Jack was sitting midair with Mariana on his lap, watching the cars and headlights outside. "I wanna watch him," Mariana whined softly, and Jack gently smoothed her hair down, drifting up to the roof to wait for the other half of their family.

"Give your brother some privacy during his change. Then you and I can watch over him, okay? Papi is taking good care of him, I promise."

Gabriel and Jesse met Mariana and Jack on the roof. There was just enough space for Jesse to run about if he needed to, but it was still just a large square. There wasn't much else to do. Gabriel had gotten some puppy teething toys and a few things to keep Jesse busy just in case, but for now the change took over.

" Pa...it-it hurts..." Jesse panted, curling his fingers in Gabriel's shirt.

" Shh, don't try to talk..." He played in the boy's hair, letting him relax into it, " It won't hurt once it starts." He didn't actually know that but he had a spell working right now. Jesse's nails and teeth grew first, with fur covering his arms next. It was rusty brown like his hair but more coarse, like a dog's fur. His ears grew pointed and his grunting and groaning slowly changed to canine whimpers. Gabriel could feel a tail against his leg, quickly tucking between Jesse's legs as he whined. He finished with the cracking and snapping of bones as they rearranged, making his feet longer and his face wolfish. Jack gently held Mariana to him, covering her ears as best he could, though he was sure she could still hear the snap and crackle of Jesse's changing form. As soon as the popping was over he uncovered her ears. Jesse wiggled out of the shirt and sat back to howl.

Gabriel couldn't help but find his little voice cute.

" There ya go let it all out!" He grinned, watching Jesse shake out his fur and meet him with bright eyes. "Alright Mariana you can look now." Jesse whimpered and raced to Gabriel, letting him scratch his head and his shoulders before he ran to meet his sister. 

Mariana turned to look and her face brightened. "Big brother!" she chimed happily, going to swirl around him and hug him close. She didn't possess him though, not like she used to do.

Jack hovered nearby, smiling softly. "That wasn't so bad, huh Jess?" he asked before reaching out his hand to gently touch Jesse's head. "How do you feel kiddo?" Jesse whined like a puppy asking for attention, wagging his tail as he leaned into the phantom touch of Jack's hand. 

 _Mari! I'm alright~ Papa was right it didn't hurt this time._ He wagged his tail and lowered his ears, closing his eyes and leaning against her misty cheek before he yipped and perked up at Jack. He shook out again then took off to run a circle around the garden. His paws were a little too big for him so he ended up tripping at Jack's feet. He rolled over on his back with a big smile and a paw in the air like he meant to do it. Jack only had time to pat his tummy before he wiggled away.

" I think that means this change was better." Gabriel grinned, watching Jesse roll around in the gravel. He popped back up and snatched up one of the rope toys to start tearing apart. This was going to be easier than he thought if Jesse was still lucid through his changes. He could only imagine why Mariana didn't change with him...and he didn't think bringing it up now was a good idea. So instead he set to grabbing the rope toy and pulling on it with Jesse.

Mariana giggled and drifted after Gabriel, practically glowing with how happy she was. "I'm glad to hear that, big brother," she chimed, chasing after him as Jesse ran around. She liked being in this wraith-like form to follow him and it helped her hear him too. "Are you scared? You seem happy!"

 _I like being able to run! I like having something to play with, and they're happy to play with us!_ Jesse grabbed the rope toy again and shook his head back and forth with a playful growl.

"Mariana, can you understand Jesse?" Jack asked with a soft smile.

She nodded with a smile. "He said it didn't hurt this time! He's not afraid anymore either~" Gabriel grinned and watched them. 

" You should never be afraid of what you are, embrace it and you can control it." He beamed, " You'll never be made to change here, you'll have your three days of the month and that's it, unless you find out you can do more with it." He could tell Jesse didn't care about his speech though, he was now playing tug of war with his sister and the rope toy. " You both look happy." 

Mariana beamed when Jesse spoke. "He's happy!" she translated simply, floating happily before she took the other end of the rope toy and laughed as Jesse played with her. This was so different from the other times Jesse changed. She hoped he could see that too and was happy. She giggled and darted behind him then, trying to get him to give chase.

Jack chuckled and shook his head. "I think that's 'yes dad, now let us play'," he teased with a smirk.

Gabriel laughed and sat back to watch them, " Security gets installed tomorrow...and the kids start school in the fall...this is as normal as our family life is going to get around here Jack. Are you enjoying this as much as I am?" He watched Jesse yip then leap through the air to spin around and chase his sister.

Jack drifted to Gabriel's side, gently placing his side against Gabriel's. He knew it would cause a chill, but he hoped Gabriel wouldn't mind. "I'm loving it," he murmured with a soft chuckle. "I know you thought I was crazy, but I knew we had to protect and watch these two. I'm glad they're so happy with us..." He chuckled softly and touched his chest, "With you and them... I finally have a family. I never thought I'd experience this."

He put his arm around Jack and kissed his cheek, a tremor running down his spine in the most pleasant way. " Feels great doesn't it?" He grinned and let Jack lean on him as they watched the kids. The spirit chuckled and nodded, leaning into the touch. He was grateful that Gabriel still treated him like a person when he was like this and that he didn't need a body to have a connection with him.

Jesse tired out with Mariana about an hour later, yawning and flopping down on his rump to whine and rub his eyes with a paw. Mariana flopped beside her brother with a smile.    
  
" Uh oh, little wolf is sleepy," Gabriel smirked and scooped him up. " Time to put him and la sombrita to bed, what do you think Jack?" He beamed as Jesse easily nestled against his chest and neck.

"I think we have two sleepy kids who've been up way past their bedtime," he teased, chuckling as Mariana wiggled in protest with a giggle followed by a small yawn. He grinned and gently booped her nose which made her giggle again. Jack carried Mariana while Gabriel scooped up Jesse and they made their way downstairs. As they reached their bed, she became more and more solid.

"But Daddy, I need to play with Jesse more," she protested and Jack only chuckled.

"There's plenty of time for that in the morning, Mari."

Jesse yawned again and let Gabriel pull a shirt on him so when he changed he wouldn't be naked. "See? He's ready for bed too." He kissed their heads and tucked them in together. "Get some sleep little ones." Jesse snuggled up to his sister with a soft sigh and fell asleep quickly.

 

Gabriel shut the door and beamed, "This is going to work out...we'll get the security cameras up and they'll live normal lives and we'll take care of them..." He brought Jack close and kissed those refreshingly cool lips. "We're parents Jack..."

Jack couldn't help but smile as Gabriel helped him tuck the kids in. He drifted back to him, only to be pulled into a kiss. He chuckled softly and cupped Gabriel's face, dragging his fingers down to his chin. He curled his fingers in Gabe's beard. "I told you your mother was right," he teased gently before shaking his head- he couldn't wipe the smile from his face. "We are... we'll keep them safe." Though he truly hoped they could live up to that promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the best I could do since my wisdom teeth were taken out. My jaw has been killing me off and on but here we are at the conclusion of the first part~ Jesse and Mariana will be the main focus of the next few chapters but as usual I'll switch perspectives since Gabe and Jack are our main characters. I thought this was a good place to end the first piece just to give you a little taste of what's in the next piece. I'm thrilled with the responses I've gotten. Thank you all for reading!


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